Sunkissed Skin And IceCold Memories
by tribalbutterfly
Summary: A/U - After Kagome's world was shattered by the only man she loved, she moved as far away from the city as she could get. Years later, she's finally begun putting her life back together when, she unexpectedly gets a new neighbour. Problem? He wants HER to pay for supposedly ruining HIS life & he's not going to waste the perfect opportunity for retribution.
1. Memories That Haunt My Days

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OF INUYASHA!

CHAPTER 1

Clawed fingers dug into the windowsill as golden eyes widened at the sight before them. Those unworldly orbs blinked slowly as the owner tried to process exactly what it was he was viewing. Sweat sheened a perfectly unlined forehead and the late afternoon breeze was welcomed as it helped to cool skin that had suddenly become overheated. Ever so slightly, a wicked grin curved the full lips of the man at the window as he overcame his initial shock and decided to enjoy the show…

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Kagome Higurashi stretched slightly on the beach towel that she had placed in her backyard and basked in the sensation of the warm sun caressing her body. Under large sunglasses, her eyes were closed as she drifted in and out of a light sleep. Earlier on, she had removed her bikini top and now reclined on the towel in a miniscule scrap of white that barely covered the essentials. She had no fear of being discovered however, as one of the reasons why she had purchased her beloved home was because of it's isolation – only one other house stood nearby and for the three years that she had been living here, no one else had shown even the slightest interest in purchasing a place so far away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Thinking back on her decision to move out into the country, her normally sensual mouth twisted bitterly. It was amazing how her life could have changed so drastically within the space of a year….twelve months…from soaring through the heights of Heaven, to writhing in the depths of Hell. And she had one person to blame for it all….one person who she thought had loved her for who she was, not what she represented.

She sighed as she pillowed her head on her arms, the heat of the sun soaking into the muscles of her exposed back. Her mind began to drift, back to the painful memories of the past that up to today, she was unable to set herself free from.

***Four Years Ago***

'Of course I mean it, Sango,' Kagome laughed as she maneuvered through the throngs of people on the busy sidewalk. She rolled her eyes at the pigeons lined up on the telephone wires overhead and smiled as she noticed how clear the sky was. Today was going to be a beautiful day.

She was trying to convince her best friend that she would not be setting her up that night. It was Sango's 30th birthday and the older girl had freaked earlier that week when the fact that the big 3-0 was actually almost upon her. Kagome had been there to witness the entire episode and her lips twitched as she recalled Sango draped dramatically across the living room sofa, her lithe body clad in nothing but a lacy bra and boyshorts, bemoaning the fact that she was getting old and that she could already see her boobs starting to sag in depression.

At twenty eight, Kagome didn't understand the terror of turning thirty….she was perfectly happy with her life. She had a killer job, great friends, she was beautiful and intelligent and while she didn't have, or want, a steady boyfriend, she did date a couple of guys off and on. Her attention turned back to the conversation as she heard her name called. 'Sorry Sango, can you repeat? I missed that last sentence.' Her lips curved in a smile. 'Sure thing hon, I'll be at your apartment at 10pm on the dot and we'll turn this town upside down!' Unfortunately for Kagome, she was so engrossed in making arrangements with her friend, that she was completely unaware that the traffic light had turned red, just as she was about to step off the pavement.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and jerked her back, just as the first car passed directly over the spot where she was standing less than a second ago, horn blaring. Kagome gasped in shock and raised stunned chocolate brown eyes to her savior. Her breath caught again at the sight of the tall, handsome man holding her, his long silver hair and predatory golden eyes making her feel weak inside.

'Are you okay?' he asked, in a low, smooth voice that had her snapping her mouth shut in case she began to drool.

'Y-yes. I am,' she stuttered. 'Thanks to you, that is.'

He grinned at her and she caught a flash of fangs before they were once more concealed. 'It was my pleasure.' He released her waist and nodded at the phone that she still had gripped in her left hand. 'I think I can hear your friend yelling your name though.'

"Hmmmmm? Ohmigosh! Sango!' Kagome exclaimed. She placed the phone by her ear and tried to calm her frantic friend. By the time she had finished explaining what had occurred, her rescuer had vanished into the distance.


	2. The Night When It All Began

Hi guys (and girls)! Thanks for the reviews! Glad for the advice Sailor Peach…Sorry about the apostrophes – I normally use italics for characters' thoughts….and I was just being lazy concerning using the proper quotation marks…I'll rectify that from now on! As far as I can see though, I have been starting each person's dialogue with a new paragraph….Can you maybe point out where I made the errors previously? Much thanks!

CHAPTER 2

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''Well I guess we should be flattered,'' Sango laughed as she and Kagome walked up to the bar. ''I mean, we both got carded, which means that we don't look anywhere like our actual ages.''

''Good thing I remembered to walk with ID,'' Kagome agreed as she signaled the bartender. He looked across in her direction as she waved, and perked up, his grin widening as he sauntered over to her end of the bar.

''What can I get for you, sweetheart?'' he asked, his hazel eyes roaming over the curvaceous body that was clad in a short, plunging, figure hugging, silver grey dress.

''Two glasses of champagne please,'' she smiled.

His grin widened as he took in Sango standing next to her in a pair of hip hugging white jeans and a midriff baring purple top. ''Right away ladies,'' he said, reaching on the shelf behind him for two long stemmed glasses. He deftly poured them each a glass, and they thanked him before moving away to one of the private booths to the edge of the dance floor.

The two friends sat and surveyed the dancing bodies, unaware that a number of men, and also women, were also fixated on them in turn. Sango, turned to Kagome and waved a hand in front of her face. When Kagome quirked a questioning eyebrow at her, Sango laughed and said, ''Okay, now spill.''

''Spill?'' Kagome queried, deliberately playing dumb. 'What do you mean?''

"Oh please woman,'' Sango smirked. ''I'm your best friend and the person who knows you inside out. Normally, if some stranger rescues you, and a good looking one at that, you would have been babbling about him non-stop. But you haven't said a single word about your mystery hero from today. Why is that I wonder, hmmmmm?''

Kagome coloured faintly. "There's nothing to tell San," she denied. "All that happened was that he was in the right place at the right time and thanks to his quick thinking, I would have probably been spending tonight in the hospital, or the morgue, instead of at Hedonism."

Sango stared at her a moment, then burst into laughter. "Say it again, Kags."

Kagome threw a puzzled glance at her friend. "Say what? That whole story over again? Weren't you listening to me from the beginning?"

"N-no," Sango managed to gasp out between gales of laughter. "The name of the club that we're in! Oh how I wish you could see you facial expression as you said it….like if you swallowed something foul." She playfully elbowed her companion. "Prude."

"I am NOT a prude," Kagome declared hotly. "A prude would never even consider being caught dead in the same city as you, far less sharing the same booth," she added slyly.

"_Touche_," Sango murmured, touching the rim of her glass to the other woman's. "You hit hard, bitch."

Kagome threw back her head and laughed, unaware that her life was less than a few hours away from ever being the same.

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"Everything is running smoothly as usual Mr. Taisho," the tall man, clad in black reported. "No brawls have been reported, we've kept a strict eye out for any illegal substances and for once, there doesn't seem to be any soliciting going on."

A low chuckle came from the man behind the desk. "The night's still young, Daigo. Don't get too optimistic as yet."

A rueful smile curved the corner of the other man's lips upwards. "Yeah, I know boss. But one can hope," he added, rubbing the back of his neck tiredly.

Inuyasha uncoiled his lean frame from the comfortable leather chair and prowled restlessly to the large wall that consisted on one-way mirrors used to observe the coming & going of persons within Hedonism. Years ago, when his father had died and left him and his older half-brother Sesshomaru a veritable fortune, they both gave in to the urgings of a mutual friend of theirs, Miroku, to invest in a nightclub. Inuyasha had been drawn to the idea from the start but Sess needed a bit more convincing. The name of the club however, came surprisingly from the older Taisho brother, who dryly suggested that since the club was Miroku's idea, they should name it after him. The three friends became business partners and never looked back or experienced a moment's regret.

_Hedonism, _Inuyasha smiled to himself. _The perfect place for humans, hanyous, youkai and even daiyoukai to interact amongst each other without fear of prejudice. _Sess called it an never-ending orgy and Mir loved to use the club as his own personal playing field, but one thing was certain – they all loved the establishment and what it represented.

_Speak of the devil, _he thought as his keen nose picked up a familiar scent behind him.

"Inu!"

"Hey Mir," Inuyasha replied, without taking his eyes off the crowd. "What's happening?"

"I've found my future wife!" the other man exclaimed.

Inuyasha smirked at him. "Have you asked her to bear your children as yet?"

Miroku deflated – there were no other words to describe it. "I haven't even said 'hello' to her as yet," he admitted.

Inuyasha resisted the urge to laugh. He knew Mir took his flirting to a whole new level, but this was a first even for him. He eyed his friend appraisingly, taking note of the tailored shirt in a shade of purple that reminded Inuyasha of an eggplant paired with form fitting black jeans. Inuyasha smiled to himself. Although he personally wouldn't be caught dead in a colour named 'eggplant', he had to admit that on Miroku, the thing actually worked well with his dark hair and serving to make his eyes appear more violet than dark grey. From firsthand experience, Inuyasha knew that women went crazy over the unusual shade of his friend's eyes, as there were many times either he or Sess had to step in to prevent two or more 'ladies' from coming to blows over who would enjoy Miroku's company for the night.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Miroku broke into Inuyasha's thoughts as he gestured to the other man.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked, confused. He looked down at his faded but comfortable blue jeans and black t-shirt. "Clothes, as far as I can tell…is there a problem?"

"Damn right there is, buddy! I need to go and meet that girl but I can't do it without a wingman," Miroku stated, flapping his hands wildly at his friend. "Go change!"

"You've lost your fucking mind," Inuyasha retorted. "I've been in back to back meetings, starting from 6 o'clock this morning until 9 o'clock tonight. Then I've had to double up on my workload because Sesshomaru is out of the country, dealing with the negotiations for the Taisho & Higurashi business deal and to top it all off, my cell was crushed to pieces earlier today when I prevented some ditzy female who doesn't know how to cross the street properly, from being splattered all over the road. I'm tired, irritable and I extremely frustrated and I am NOT leaving this office. Do you hear me, Miroku? Miroku? MIROKU!"

"There she is, Inu," Miroku beckoned him over to the glass. "Tell me she's not sheer perfection, a goddess in a human body."

Inuyasha stared at him in disbelief. "You didn't hear a word I just said, you fucking nut. You have got to be the most idiotic, moronic, and just all around plain stupid jacka…..Well, hello…." His tirade trailed off as he finally took a look at where Miroku was pointing.

"Stunning, isn't she?" Miroku asked, as he gazed at the woman in purple and white who was sliding out of the booth and heading to the dance floor.

"Definitely," Inuyasha murmured, golden eyes drinking in the silver clad beauty as she tossed her head back and laughed unreservedly. He crossed the office floor swiftly, his bare feet making no sound on the thick, luxurious wine red carpet, as he pulled open a door that was cleverly designed to blend in with the walls of the office and entered a fully furnished bedroom. He turned to Miroku, who was looking at him with a totally mystified expression and grinned. "Give me twenty minutes. You'll have to live with the jeans, since the only other clothes I have here right now are business suits and shirts, but at least I can clean up a bit first."

Miroku was still standing there with his mouth open, when the bathroom door shut in his face. Finally finding his tongue, he shook his head and muttered, "Well, son-of-a-bitch."

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"Aren't you glad you came, Kags?" Sango asked, as they left the dance floor and headed towards the bar for another drink. Her cheeks were flushed prettily and her eyes were sparkling with enjoyment.

"Oh, for sure I am!" Kagome replied, leaning against the bar and signaling the bartender. "I've forgotten how much fun we have on our girl nights out! It seems like AGES since we last did something like this!"

"It HAS been ages, Madam Workaholic," Sango teased. "The last time we did this was when your witch – spelt with a capital 'B' -," Kagome snorted into her drink and almost choked with laughter at that line, "sister unexpectedly dropped off her broomstick and showed up uninvited at your apartment at 11 o'clock in the night, demanding that you let her stay for the week. Personally, I'm surprised you didn't kick her ass out instead of calling me and going out to get wasted."

Kagome shot back the remains of her seventh – or was it eight – glass of wine and beckoned the bartender over. "Two shots of Café Patron," she ordered. She eyed Sango and replied, "Honestly, Sango, I don't know WHY I tolerate her for. She's older than I am and yet, she's always been the one who gets pampered and coddled by everyone around us. I guess, I'm hoping that maybe one day she'll show me that she has more to her than the shallow, materialistic personality that she has displayed so far."

"What was the reason she gave for coming home by you though?" Sango questioned. "I remember she threw a tantrum when you had asked her initially. Did she ever end up telling you what it was?'

Kagome shrugged. "Some recent breakup with some new boy toy. She didn't go into detail, but from what she did tell me, he was madly in love with her, but she wasn't ready to settle down as yet and he started becoming extremely jealous, possessive and paranoid." Her lips curved in a wicked grin. "But knowing Kikyou as well as I do, I'm willing to bet that the poor bastard had damn good reasons to behave like that. We all know she's unable to stay in one man's bed for very long."

The shots arrived and they each picked up a glass.

"Cheers," Kagome saluted, before they tipped their heads back in unison, emptying the contents. They placed the shot glasses back onto the polished surface of the bar and Sango grabbed her friend's hand, pulling her back into the crowd.

"Let's rock," she exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air as she dragged a laughing Kagome in her wake.


	3. Heating Up The Dance Floor

BLANKET DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 3

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"Her name is Sango by the way."

"Huh?" Miroku turned to stare at his friend as he stepped into the bedroom. "How do you know that?"

Inuyasha grinned. "Because the girl with her is the nitwit that I saved earlier today, and I heard her saying her name over the phone. The friend's name is Kagome." He smirked at Miroku's flabbergasted expression. "Having demon senses come in handy pretty often, especially when it comes to overhearing phone conversations."

He glanced at his reflection in the floor length mirror, studying the combination of the dark red dress shirt and faded blue jeans. "Think this will satisfy your lofty standards, Captain Eggplant?"

Miroku flipped Inuyasha the finger before chuckling at the jab. "It's fine. You'll never be able to match my animal magnetism of course, but you'll do for now." Ignoring the other man's snort of laughter, he walked out into the office, unconsciously mirroring Sango's words to Kagome, "Let's rock!"

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"Enough Sango! I'm beat!" Kagome called out as she tapped her friend on the shoulder and pointed to their booth. "Let's go sit for a while, shall we?"

"Sure thing, Kags," Sango agreed. "Plus I'm feeling a bit of a buzz from the last shot….what was it, tequila?"

"Yup! And it was Jagermeister before that, remember?" Kagome laughed. "I'm surprised that we can still stand right now to be honest. Maybe all that dancing has been helping to work the alcohol out of our system."

"Well that, plus the glass of water that you've been making us drink after every shot," Sango teased. "Good advice though, it really seems to be helping!"

"I read it online," Kagome informed her. "I figured that tonight would be a perfect opportunity to test it out anyways." They arrived at their booth and Kagome threw herself carelessly across the plush cushions, unaware that her already short skirt had ridden up enough to expose almost all of her toned, creamy thighs. Sango followed suit, draping her body on the opposite side of her friend.

"This was the best birthday ever!" she gushed. "Thanks for being there for me, Kags….you're the greatest!"

"Don't be silly, San," Kagome smiled. "That's what best friends are for."

"Ha! That's damn true! And speaking of best friends; what about mystery man from earlier?" Sango began. "You know, your HERO?"

"Sango! He's NOT my hero!" Kagome protested. "In fact I-"

"I'm not?" A voice as smooth as liquid sin broke into her sentence. "How crushing."

Kagome felt her jaw drop as her gaze traveled up…and up…and up…..until finally meeting the glittering golden gaze that had mesmerized her earlier today. "Ohmigosh…..you," she breathed.

He smirked, before extending a hand to her. "I'm Inuyasha."

"Kagome," she whispered, enthralled. His handshake was warm and firm and she felt a tingling when his much larger hand enveloped her delicate one. A slight kick under the table reminded her of her manners. "And this is my best friend, Sango."

"Pleased to meet you Sango," Inuyasha shook her hand as well. "This is my friend, Miroku." He gestured to the handsome man at his side.

"Ladies," Miroku inclined his head, noting that Sango was even more beautiful up close. He smiled charmingly. "Do you mind if we have a seat? I for one would love to hear this story of why Inuyasha here is Kagome's non-hero."

Sango laughed. "Please, feel free. I myself would like to hear the other side of this story."

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A couple of hours later, the foursome were laughing and talking like old friends. Inuyasha and Miroku were careful not to mention that they were the club owners and the staff of Hedonism knew never to reveal their true identities while any of the owners were mingling on the floor. Inuyasha began to find himself more and more fascinated by the fey, bubbly creature at his side as she continued to make him laugh more than he ever thought possible. With a start, he looked at his watch and realized that it was less than twenty minutes until closing time. Abruptly, he stood and held out his hand to Kagome.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

Kagome nodded and placed her hand in his, allowing herself to be led onto the now almost empty dance floor. The music had mellowed from the fast paced dance songs to a slower, seductive beat and her breath caught as he pulled body flush against his. She never expected to see the mystery guy who had saved her ever again, and finding out that his personality matched his looks was incredible to her.

She laced her hands around his neck and swayed in time to the music with him, closing her eyes as she inhaled his scent. His hands slowly moved up and down her body, causing butterflies to race in her stomach and heat to rush to her cheeks. Her breathing quickened ever so slightly as she imagined those hands running over other parts of her, whilst she returned the favour to him. She wondered what he'd look like naked and if his body was as hard ans as sculpted as it felt pressed against hers.

"Lust at first sight," she chuckled to herself, unconsciously nuzzling her lips into the curve of his neck.

Inuyasha tensed as he felt the brush of her lips against his skin. _What is she doing to me?_ He was trying to take things slowly with her but his willpower was being severely tested. He could smell her arousal and as her lips touched the curve of his neck again, he groaned slightly. _Ah fuck it….._

Kagome heard his almost inaudible groan and looked up in concern. "Inuyasha?" she asked hesitantly. "Is everything okay?"

In response, his lips crashed upon hers, devouring her in an all out attack on her senses. Kagome quickly recovered from her surprise and returned the heated kiss, her tongue running along his bottom lip, demanding entrance. He instantly obeyed and followed suit, the couple not breaking off the kiss until they were both breathless.

"Wow," Inuyasha breathed, planting a trail of fiery kisses along her collarbone.

"Mmmmmhmmmm," Kagome breathed in agreement, tilting back her head to allow him better access as his lips began to roam lower.

"Ahem," a voice spoke up behind them. The couple jumped and turned guiltily to see a smirking Sango and Miroku trying desperately to hold in their mirth.

"Get a room, you two," Sango called out, the cliché line seeming to be most fitting for this occasion.

Kagome turned a shade of red to match Inuyasha's shirt and buried her head in his chest. "Go away," she mumbled. She felt his body shake with silent laughter.

"Come on, Kagome, I'll take you home," he told her.

"But what about Sango," she asked.

Her friend waved her concerns away. "I drove, remember? Plus, I've been drinking water since we sat down a couple hours ago, so I'm fine. You kids go and have some fun! Use a condom though!"

"Sango!" Kagome gasped, feeling her blush return. This time Inuyasha threw back his head and laughed fully.

"I'll take good care of her, I promise," he assured Sango. "See you guys later."

"Bye Sango. Bye Miroku," Kagome waved as she was steered to the exit by a suddenly eager half-demon.

"Later Kagome, it was nice meeting you!"

"Give me deets tomorrow, woman!"


	4. A Dance As Old As Time

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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OK….THIS IS A LEMON CHAPTER….SO FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE UNDERAGE - YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO. TRUST ME, THIS HAS NO IMPACT ON PLOT AND YOU CAN JUST AS EASILY PICK UP THE STORYLINE IF YOU READ THE CHAPTER AFTER THIS.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE **NOT** UNDERAGE AND STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH LEMONS, WELL I'M REALLY SORRY FOR YOU AND YOUR BORING SEX LIFE! EVERYONE ELSE…ENJOY! I HAVEN'T WRITTEN A SCENE LIKE THIS FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS…..WONDER IF I STILL HAVE WHAT IT TAKES LOL

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CHAPTER 4

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They didn't make it to the bedroom.

The drive to Kagome's apartment should have only taken thirty minutes. However, during the ride, caresses were exchanged and kisses were sneaked, causing the trip to extend. The wait only served to heighten the anticipation of the two occupants of the vehicle and as soon as he had parked the car in the basement lot, Inuyasha leaned over and ravished her mouth in a kiss that had her ready to rip his clothes off and have her way with him right then and there, building security be damned. It took a supreme level of willpower for her to break the kiss and pull away.

"Upstairs," she moaned. "GO."

He chuckled, but it was a sound that bordered on pain. "Sure thing, lover. Lead the way."

They got out and headed to the elevator. Thankfully, it seemed as if the guards were patrolling another area, as they did not encounter anyone else while they made their way to the lift. Once inside, Kagome inserted her access card for the twelfth floor – her private floor – and they began their smooth ascent.

As soon as the doors closed, Inuyasha swept her in his arms again and began pressing slight kisses alternated with tiny nips along her neck. Kagome let her head drop weakly to the side, granting him a clear view of her cleavage, her breasts barely covered now by the neckline of her dress. His hot mouth travelled lower, as his tongue traced a path over the top of one pale globe. She gasped and tightened her fingers in his thick hair, silently urging him to continue. He grasped the neckline and roughly pulled it down, both parties oblivious to the sound of the delicate cloth tearing. His eyes widened slightly as he surveyed the lace bra she wore, the colour of the material so close to her creamy complexion that it almost looked as if she was wearing nothing at all.

"Vixen," he murmured, a wicked smile curling the corners of his lips. "I wonder what the rest looks like?"

Just then, the elevator bell chimed, announcing their arrival. Kagome sent him a smile that matched his perfectly. "Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" she asked, her nimble fingers unzipping the back of her dress and letting it pool to her feet, before kicking it out into the hallway.

With that, she sauntered out of the elevator, hips swaying, leaving a flabbergasted half-demon to stare at her ass that was clad – barely – in lace thong to match her bra. She barely had time to enter her passcode and step through the door before she was tackled from behind and pulled up against a hard, very male chest. Clawed hands traveled up the front of her thighs, over her hips, and skimmed her ribs and breasts before lifting the heavy mass of her hair and exposing the nape of her neck to the man behind her.

"You're playing a dangerous game, woman," he growled softly before biting her gently on the tender skin.

Kagome moaned and raised her right arm, bringing it back to tangle once more in his hair. His hand curved under her jaw, tilting her head up and back so that he could meet her in another kiss. Their tongues fought for dominance until he captured hers and gently suckled on it, eliciting a whimper from her. Her clutch purse tumbled to the floor, forgotten as she used her left hand to stroke his jeans clad leg. His hands moved to the front clasp of her bra and in one deft motion, the scraps of fabric hung loose, his warm palms quickly replacing them. Kagome moaned again, louder this time, as he began to gently knead her flesh, stoking the fire already burning deep within her. Her knees threatened to buckle as his right hand moved lower, slipping below the cloth of her underwear, to touch bare skin. She heard his hiss of surprise when he met nothing but smooth, hairless flesh and felt his lips move in a smile.

"Well, well, well," he breathed against her neck. "Aren't you full of surprises, lover?" His finger moved to caress her folds and her hips jerked involuntarily at the sensation that shot through her. "All hot and wet and ready for me," he murmured, before biting down harder on her neck, while simultaneously pushing one finger deep inside her.

Kagome keened and spread her legs wider at the unfamiliar sensation of someone inside her body. She was no virgin, but her first and only sexual encounter was many years ago and a total disaster to boot. She was a naturally sensual woman however, and with Inuyasha, the sexual act seemed to come instinctively for her as she followed his lead.

"So tight," her soon-to-be lover groaned as he inserted yet another finger inside and began to slide them in and out of her body, curving them to hit just the right spot every time he reached the deepest part of her passage. He pulled back slightly and eased the bra off her shoulders so that she was completely naked except for her high heels. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he eased his fingers out of her and pushed her gently forward so that the long, elegant curve of her back was exposed to him. He smiled as he saw the deep dimples on her lower back and used his tongue to trail a line from her neck to the sexy indentations where he placed a quick nip on each one.

"Inu-Inuyasha," Kagome's breath hitched as she pleaded with him for something she herself was not sure of.

"What is it, Kagome?" he asked her, teeth nipping the sensitive skin on her lower back. "Tell me."

"Please," she whispered. "Please….."

"Please, what?" He smiled against her body, knowing that she couldn't see his expression or realize how badly he wanted to rip off his clothes and bury himself in her.

"I want,,,,I need,,,,,,"

"Say it!" he commanded. "What do you need?"

"You! I need you inside me now!" she cried. "I can't take anymore!"

He laughed softly and began unbuttoning his shirt. As soon as the garment fell, his jeans quickly followed suit. "Oh, you're gonna take a LOT more before I'm done with you, beautiful. I'm planning to make you scream my name until you can't scream anymore and when you reach that point, then and only then, will I fuck you until you can't think straight."

Kagome managed to choke out a laugh as she informed him dryly, "As soon as you touched me, my senses were scrambled, so trust me, you don't have far to go."

He grinned. "Oh, we'll see about that, beauty."

He dropped to his knees behind her and ran his hands up her smooth legs. Kagome tensed as he slipped his hands on the inside of her thighs, parting them further. His fingers caressed her ass, grazing over the twin globes gently as he urged them apart more and more, one of his hands reaching up to press on her lower back, forcing her to bend forward at the waist, until she had to grab onto the sides of the decorative stool that stood next to her front door for support. Feather light touches of his claws skimmed her innermost flesh, like butterfly kisses, fleeting and insubstantial. He teased her mercilessly, causing her to unconsciously part her legs wider and wider as her body wordlessly begged him to cease his torment. Just when she though the suspense was too much for her to bear and she was about to turn around and confront him, she felt his tongue, lick her from the front to back in one slow, thorough movement. Kagome's knees buckled and she screamed out his name.

Inuyasha repeated his action, this time faster and a little rougher. He had planned to simply take her from behind, but when he had realized how aroused she was and felt the tightness of her walls closing in on his fingers, he had been overwhelmed by the urge to taste her….to see if she was as delicious as she looked. And now that he had one taste, it seemed as if he was addicted. She was even sweeter. He swirled his tongue along the edges of her and in one swift movement, raised his head to bring his chest flush against her back, while reaching around with his left hand to play with her nipple and simultaneously thrusting two fingers of his right hand once more as deeply into her body as he could. She screamed again, grinding her hips back into his hand and flinging back her head so that her long, raven hair tangled in his own silver strands. The sight of the black and silver entwined was for some reason, so strangely erotic to him, that his control and intentions of teasing her to her limits broke. With a muffled curse, he quickly removed a condom from his jeans pocket, unwrapped it and pulled it on. Within seconds, he turned back to Kagome and pushed her forward once more until she was on her hands and knees. Covering her in one fluid movement, he buried himself to the hilt in her welcoming heat.

Kagome cried out at the sensation of being uncomfortably filled. Inuyasha was definitely more than she had bargained for, she thought wildly. Then he began to move inside her and the ability to form anything coherent fled her brain. Each thrust was pleasure bordering on pain to her, as he started off slowly at first, letting her body adjust to his, then little by little, speeding up and forcing her to take him deeper and harder each time. She heard his harsh breathing mingling with her moans and cries as she pleaded brokenly for him to go harder and faster. She felt his surprise as she did so and he paused briefly, causing her to groan in frustration and beg him not to stop.

"I'm a half-demon, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. "I've always had to be careful with mortal women, because if I unleash my full strength, I may hurt you badly….or even kill you."

"I won't break," she gasped. "I'm stronger than you may think, Inuyasha." She turned her head to the side and met his fiery golden gaze straight on. "Fuck me. NOW."

With a groan, he rammed himself into her body, harder than before. She cried out and her nails dug into the luxurious carpet below her hands. "Ah, yes! Oh, just like that baby! Fuck me…fuck me harder!"

"Kagome," he panted desperately, straining from the effort of not acquiescing to her demands, "if it starts to hurt, stop me immediately ok, lover?"

"y-yeeeesss,' she whimpered, frustrated with the delay. "I promise."

He hissed once and that was the only warning she had before he began pounding into her body with a speed and intensity that took her breath away. His previous pace was like child's play compared to the new rhythm that he set and each stroke caused an unknown fluttering sensation in her abdomen, more particularly concentrated in the area where they were joined. She felt as if she was poised on the brink of a precipice but she was unable to jump off.

"Inuyasha, I-I want….more…I need…I need…." Her voice was barely audible but the keen hearing of her hanyou lover picked it up easily. He smiled, knowing what she craved and reached around to the front of her, his talented fingers simulating the small bud. Kagome screamed one final time and splintered in his embrace, the contractions of her inner walls milking him and setting off a chain reaction that caused him to moan her name and follow with his own climax. As his orgasm flooded his senses, he was stunned with the realization that his fangs were elongated and that he was about to bury his teeth in her neck in order to mark her as his mate. It was with a supreme effort that he turned his head away and forced his demon side back into submission, before collapsing to the carpet, the raven haired seductress wrapped securely in his arms.

As sleep overcame them both, Inuyasha smiled contentedly as one thought drifted through his mind…_Mine._


	5. Calm Before The Storm

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 5

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"Mmmmmmmm…" Kagome stirred slightly and smiled contentedly, as she surfaced from sleep. She felt warm and unusually relaxed. Her smooth brow furrowed as she slowly became aware that she was using a hard chest as a pillow and that she was naked on her foyer carpet. With a gasp, she shot into a sitting position, causing her 'pillow' to chuckle.

"Good morning, beautiful," the silver haired man greeted her, smiling lazily.

Kagome couldn't help but grin back at him, her expression heating up as she surveyed the half demon lounging on her carpet in all of his naked glory. Her cheeks heated up as she recalled exactly what had transpired between them, the pink flush eliciting a smirk from her lover.

"Shy?" he teased. "After what we did and after I had my hand and mouth in plac-,"

He was cut short by Kagome's palm being slapped over his mouth.

"Oh hush," she scolded in mock seriousness. She stood up and stretched, unaware of the appreciative gaze of the man lying at her feet. "I'm going to shower and make some breakfast. Do you want any?"

"Yes to both," he replied, his lips curving in a wicked grin. "Are we going to be saving water?" The glint in his eye made his meaning all too clear.

Kagome laughed and strolled away from him, completely at ease in her nudity. "I'm all for conservation," she called out as she disappeared into another room, leaving him to scramble to his feet and follow her.

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An hour and a half later, they were in her state of the art kitchen, getting ready to dig into a hearty meal. Inuyasha surprised Kagome by showing her that he not only knew his way around a kitchen but that he was also a very good cook, whipping up fluffy omelets and bacon, while she made a fresh fruit salad. They carried their food to her outside balcony that overlooked a garden area and dug into the repast with relish.

"So," Inuyasha began, breaking the silence that had fallen as they began eating, "I've realized that I don't even know your last name, where you work or anything else about you. Is it okay if I ask?"

She smiled at him. "Of course, Inuyasha. My last name is Higurashi."

Inuyasha had unfortunately just taken a mouthful of orange juice, and as a result, he started to choke. Concerned, Kagome rushed to his side and pounded his back until he was able to catch his breath.

"Higurashi?" he wheezed. "As in Higurashi Co. Ltd?"

She sighed. "Yes, that is my family's company, but to be perfectly honest, I don't have much to do in the management aspect. I'm the head of the Marketing Department."

Inuyasha laughed. "I guess that explains this fantastic apartment, then." His eyes twinkled as he extended his hand to her. "Nice to meet you Kagome Higurashi. My name is Inuyasha Taisho."

It was Kagome's turn to be flabbergasted. Her jaw dropped as she stared at his outstretched hand. "You're joking," she stated flatly. One look at her companion's face was enough to confirm that he was indeed being truthful. She shook her head and laughed ruefully. "Well, I must admit, I think THIS merger went a lot smoother than the one overseas must be going!"

Inuyasha mirth mirrored her own. "What are the odds, huh lover?" he grinned. "I never in a million years thought that by saving a random stranger, I'd end up having breakfast with one of the famous Higurashis."

"Ha!" she retorted. "You Taisho brothers are even more famous. Reclusive multi billionaires who hardly attend the so called popular social gatherings, but donate millions every year to various charities, particularly animal welfare and children's hospitals? You guys are living legends!"

He waved off her words. "My brother and I value our privacy. Too many times in the past, we've been exposed to those who would use us for personal gain." His eyes darkened at the memories. "Whether it's false friends, gold digging women or power hungry business persons, we've learnt that money doesn't always bring genuine persons." He sat back and studied her. "I'm assuming that you have the same problem that I speak of?"

A quick stab of an old pain hit her but she shrugged it off almost instantly. "Yes, you assumed correctly. Sango and only a select few persons are trusted enough by me to be let into my inner circle…..i have to be so careful concerning who I let get close to me. It can be frustrating sometimes, but from personal experience, I've learnt how easily personal things like family disagreements and even photographs can be leaked to the press in exchange for a few dollars." Her full lips twisted bitterly and her eyebrows drew downwards as unpleasant memories were recalled. She was startled when a clawed hand was paced over hers.

"Hey," he murmured gently, "don't look so sad. Whatever happened was in the past and we need to burn to learn, not so?"

She gave him a tremulous smile. "You're absolutely correct." She leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "Thank you for understanding, Inuyasha." She stood and began clearing their empty plates from the table. "I'm going to do the dishes and tidy up the kitchen."

Inuyasha stood as well and followed her into the kitchen. "I'll come and help."

Kagome looked at him in surprise. "It's not necessary," she protested. "I know you're probably extremely busy and I don't want to inconvenience you," she explained as she placed the plates in the dishwasher.

Firm arms wrapped themselves around her trim waist and he nuzzled her neck from behind. "I have no plans that are more important than right now," he murmured against her skin. "Let's do the dishes, clean up and then we have the entire day to ourselves. I can actually take you on a real date as well."

She turned to smile at him. "So I'm guessing, this wasn't a one night stand? Because even though it may seem unbelievable to you based on my behavior last night, I don't make it a habit to bring men home and sleep with them."

"I know," he assured her. "There is no other male's scent anywhere on you. Plus," he grinned, "contrary to what YOU may think, I don't normally go home with strange women and bed them either." He turned her to face him and gently kissed her forehead. "I'd like to see more of you and give us a chance to determine if this can go somewhere, if you are also willing."

Kagome nodded in assent and lay her head against his chest. "So would I, Inuyasha."

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Their relationship blossomed over the next month. They were blissfully happy and all who met the couple agreed that they were perfect for each other. Many of their dates were doubled with Sango and Miroku who were also fast becoming a steady item and the four friends had a number of outings that would always be imprinted in their memories.

Sesshomaru had also met Kagome and to Inuyasha's utter shock, had immediately taken to the sprightly woman, consulting her on a variety of adjustments that he wanted to make to Taisho Corporation's image and brands. She in turn found him to have a very dry sense of humor below his stoic façade and they spent many enjoyable hours in each other's company. The Taisho/Higurashi contract had gone off without a hitch and Sesshomaru also found himself getting along fantastically with Kagome's brother Souta, who was the person that he conducted most of his business related to Higurashi Co. Ltd through. The only fly in the ointment was Kagome's older cousin, Kagura Kaze, who seemed to rub him the wrong way every time he spoke to her.

But as with all good things, eventually, it had to come to an end.


	6. Nightmares, Schemes And Betrayals

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 6

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Kagome checked her reflection in the mirror one last time and adjusted an errant strand of hair. She smiled in approval at her appearance as she did one final twirl, the hem of her dress flaring out around her ankles as she did so. Inuyasha would be arriving any minute and she didn't want to keep him waiting.

It was the night of the annual grand charity ball that the Taishos threw to raise awareness and funds for various animal welfare causes. Kagome had learnt that animal abuse and neglect was a sore subject with the brothers, probably even more so given the Inu blood flowing through their veins, and that even though their busy schedules prevented them from keeping pets of their own, they were heavily involved in rescuing homeless and abused animals, even taking a few days each month to go to the various shelters that they donated to in order to check up and even socialize with the rescues. It was a strict rule of theirs that any shelter they sponsored be 'No Kill' as they gave more than enough funds for the care of twice the number of animals that were currently housed in each place and the creatures received top of the line care until they were placed in new homes.

At that moment, the buzzer went off and Kagome pressed the intercom button.

"Kagome Higurashi," she said pleasantly.

"Good evening Miss Higurashi. Mr. Inuyasha Taisho is here to you," the guard announced.

"Great," she smiled. "I'll key in his access. Please send him up."

"Of course miss. I'll do that promptly."

The intercom switched off and Kagome punched in the security code that would allow the lift to open its doors on her floor. After a few minutes, she heard a knock on the door and she hurried over to it, glancing at Inuyasha's figure that was being projected on the security television screen by the tiny, practically invisible camera that stood above the door. She flung open the door and was gratified by his expression as he gazed upon her.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, golden eyes heating up as he surveyed her pink, strapless evening gown that clung to her full breasts and gently floated in layers of chiffon from the empire waistline to her feet clad in pale pink, strappy shoes. The dress was created using a myriad of pinks, from the palest shade to a deep, dusky rose. Her hair was pinned up in an artfully messy bunch of curls that looked as if they would be ready to tumble down at any second. Around her neck, she wore a simple diamond necklace and diamond teardrop earrings dangled from her ears. Her makeup and perfume were both applied heavily enough to accentuate but lightly enough not to detract from the beauty that they graced. Inuyasha swallowed heavily. "Can't we just stay home and have our own little party?" he asked, giving her his trademark grin.

Kagome laughed and wagged her finger at him. "I did not spend all this time getting ready, so that I could take it back off within the space of five minutes, silly," she chided. "Plus, you look extremely handsome tonight, and I want to go show you off." She picked up her silver and pink evening bag from the table next to her and walked to the door, flicking off lights throughout the apartment as she did so. When she entered the lift, with Inuyasha at her back, she leaned forward and caressed his right ear lightly, causing him to shiver in pleasure. "Plus, think about how much fun I'll have knowing that you'll be wondering what I have on under this dress. I'll give you a hint….the fabric is too clingy for even a g-string."

With that the elevator bell dinged and she pulled away, waving to the guards in the parking lot and Inuyasha stood in the lift, yet again gawking at her like an idiot. He finally remembered to close his jaw and nodded to the guards before following his woman to where she stood by his vehicle.

"You'll pay for that later," he promised, eyes smoldering as he opened the passenger door for her to enter.

"I can't wait," she practically purred, returning his heated look.

With a muffled groan and a curse about teasing women, Inuyasha turned the key in the ignition and drove off. It was going to be a long night…..

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Three hours later, Kagome was ready to drag Inuyasha off into the nearest bathroom and have her way with him. The wretch kept his promise by subtly torturing her with quick caresses and kisses that were maddeningly fleeting, yet incredibly arousing. There was the one time when she was speaking to the ambassador of a country, whose name she could not even recall now thanks to her wayward lover, and she felt his claws drag ever so lightly across the back of her neck, causing her to stammer and lose focus entirely on what she was saying.

Then there was the incident when she was with Sesshomaru, discussing one of Taisho's new products and how best to launch it to the public when she felt a hand gently pass over her backside. She had faltered and had brought her speech to an abrupt halt, her cheeks burning. Sesshomaru, the wretch, Part Two, had stifled a smile and asked her if she needed a moment to collect herself, at which point, she snarled at him and whipped around her head to glare at his younger half brother who was standing innocently next to her. Now, they were pressed against each other, swaying in time to the beat of a slow melody and he was nuzzling her neck, causing the feeling of excitement to pool deep in her belly.

"Oh my, Kagome! Do you allow your lovers to simply paw away at you in public now? How extremely uncouth," a voice, spoke up behind her, throwing ice water on the tender moment.

Kagome sighed, then tensed as she felt Inuyasha stiffen beside her. Nothing however, could have prepared her for what happened next.

"Ki-Kikyou?" Inuyasha stammered incredulously.

"In the flesh," Kagome's older sister laughed, albeit a bit too brightly. "I must apologize for arriving so late but I just flew in from a photo shoot in Paris. I barely had enough time to change and rush over here. As you can tell," she waved her hand in the air, indicating herself. "I look like a mess."

Kagome gritted her teeth as she viewed Kikyou's silvery-white, form fitting, shimmering gown and her perfect hair and makeup. She was about to open her mouth to tell her sister that she did indeed look like something the cat dragged in, when Inuyasha spoke up.

"You look perfect," he assured the other girl.

Kagome felt her jaw drop and she didn't miss the triumphant glance that Kikyou sent her way.

"Excuse me," she said, turning to face Inuyasha. "I take it you know my sister?"

"Sister?" He blinked at her and studied both women. "You know, now that you two are next to each other, there is a definite resemblance. I can't believe I didn't see it sooner….in fact you can almost pass for twins!" he marveled.

"Well, we didn't really get a chance to discuss family now did we, dearest," Kikyou purred, laying a manicured hand on his arm. "I believe we were otherwise occupied at the time."

Kagome began to feel sick and the room had suddenly seemed to become devoid of oxygen. "You guys slept together?" she managed to choke out.

"Kagome," Inuyasha shrugged Kikyou's hand off, "It was in the past. We didn't even last very long and I've never had any contact with her since then. I didn't know she was your sister either. Your last name is Higurashi and hers is Cho."

"She changed it when she turned eighteen," Kagome explained through numb lips.

"Yes," Kikyou confirmed. "I needed something faster paced than Higurashi to launch my modeling career and Cho was perfect for me. And," she smiled seductively up at the silver haired hanyou, "I've also found something, or should I say SOMEONE, else who is perfect for me. What do you say to grabbing a drink and catching up on some old time memories hmmmm?"

Kagome wanted to throw up. She could not believe her own sister was blatantly propositioning her lover right in front of her and acting as if Kagome was not even present. She opened her mouth to give a scathing retort, but was once again cut off by Inuyasha.

"Sorry, Kikyou, but I'm seeing Kagome now. You and I had finished a long time ago and I don't believe in going back to things that couldn't work out," he stated firmly. He took Kagome's arm and inclined his head politely to the woman in white, "now if you'll excuse us, I think Kagome needs a drink and I sure as hell could do with one as well." He then turned around and the couple walked off, leaving a sputtering Kikyou in their wake.

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"My, my, my….is the little princess getting shitfaced?" An amused voice spoke up silkily behind her.

"Fuck off, Naraku," Kikyou snarled, not even looking around at her unwanted companion.

"What language," he tsked, coming around to the front of her. A smile curved his well shaped lips but instead of softening his features, it only served to make him look even more cruelly beautiful. "I take it the source of your anger is the hanyou and that gorgeous sister of yours who made a spectacle of you on the dance floor earlier?"

"They did not make me into a spectacle," she hissed.

"Far be it for me to argue with a," he paused almost imperceptibly, "lady. Not a spectacle then. Just a laughing stock, as you stood there, mouth agape as the two of them walked away from you."

Kikyou gritted her teeth and opened her mouth to give him the tongue lashing of a lifetime when she noticed that his sherry coloured eyes had wandered to someone behind her and had darkened with an undefinable emotion. Swiveling slightly, she was able to catch a glimpse of ebony curls and swirls of pink before the person once more disappeared into the crowd. Turning back to Naraku, she favoured him with a knowing smirk.

"Oh dear, seems as if someone is still hung up over my little sister," she smiled coldly. "I thought ten years would be long enough for you to get the bitch out of your system. What's the matter, she didn't put it out for you?"

Naraku chuckled darkly. "Oh, she put it out eventually...not everyone spreads their legs as quickly or as readily as you do, my little slut." He reached out to caress her cheek as her brown eyes, so like her sister's, shot sparks of rage at him. "Thanks to professions of undying love and a bottle of wine, your baby sister's virginity was mine to take. Unfortunately, she was a bit too untrained and innocent for a man like me. I prefer my women to have more experience in pleasing a man in bed."

He paused and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment. "Seeing her with the hanyou however, has made me wonder if I gave her up too soon. He's too enamoured with her for her to be anything short of a spectacular fuck….I've heard the stories of the Taisho brothers and I know you my dear," his eyes flicked over to Kikyou, "know personally how fucking one of them can be. There is no way a prudish virgin could ever keep the interest of Inuyasha for long or cause him to run around her like a tamed puppy."

Kikyou laughed harshly. "Why don't you go for it then?" she asked. "Drive a wedge in between them and use that to get back into Kagome's bed. In fact," she smiled. "I'll even help you do it."

"You," Naraku scoffed. "Why should I trust your conniving ass?"

Kikyou plucked two flutes of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. Handing one to Naraku, she clinked her glass to his. "Because, she has something that I want and that's the only way to get it back. Cheers."

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'Where has Inuyasha gone off too?' Kagome wondered as she scanned the crowded room yet another time for her lover. He had left her over an hour ago to go speak to some foreign businessmen and she was unable to locate him anywhere. 'I hope he's okay,' she fretted. 'It's not like him to simply disappear like that.'

"Champagne?" A glass was thrust into her hand.

"No thank yo-," her voice trailed off as she saw who she was talking to. "YOU!"

Naraku Onigumo smiled sardonically down at her. "In the flesh, my sweet Kagome. It's been far too long, won't you say? Ten years to be precise."

"And still not long enough," she retorted, placing the champagne flute on the closest table to her with a thump. Some of the expensive liquid sloshed over the edge but Kagome paid it no heed. Realizing that Naraku was blocking her way back into the crowd, Kagome turned and fled from him onto the large balcony that overlooked the gardens.

Naraku smiled as he watched her retreating figure. "You walked directly into our trap, my little bird," he murmured to himself.

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Kagome struggled to calm her pounding heart. After ten years, her nightmare from the past had returned to haunt her. She knew that she should not have been surprised to see him as he moved in similar social circles to hers, but she had always managed to avoid him until now. Tears threatened to fall as she recalled how her eighteen year old self had been captivated by the twenty five year old man and all of his promises to her. They had met the day after her eighteenth birthday and dated steadily for seven months, before she had finally surrendered her virginity to him.

A shudder went through her as she remembered that night. She saw a different side of Naraku then, a side that was darker and more terrifying than she could ever have imagined. He had abused her tender body, tearing through her hymen without care, covering her breasts and body with bites and bruises and taking her over and over until she was screaming for him to stop. He had ignored her pleas and it was only after he had sated himself and pulled out of her, that she had made her way to the bathroom and waited until he had fallen asleep before gingerly pulling on her clothes over her battered body and quietly leaving his house, tears of shame and pain falling constantly.

He had never tried to contact her since then and she had explained away his absence to her family by saying that things just didn't work out between them. For a while, she was also in terror of becoming pregnant, as he had not used any protection, and when her period had come, she had fallen to her knees in her bathroom sobbing with relief. The entire episode had scarred herso badly mentally and emotionally that, until Inuyasha came along, she had kept men at a safe distance, never letting any one of her dates become close enough to her for their relationship to develop into a physical one.

Her thoughts were interrupted by movement in the garden below her and her eyes widened as she focused, then stared in disbelief at the couple below her, mouths fused together in a kiss, her dress around her waist and his hands covering her large breasts.

"BASTARD!" she screamed, causing them to break apart and look up at her. Kagome took one look at Inuyasha's chagrined expression and Kikyou's smug grin before turning and running back into the party.

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"Bitch," Inuyasha hissed. "You planned this."

Kikyou simply smiled at him. "Why Inuyasha, I have no idea what you could possibly mean. Poor Kagome though, coming upon her lover and sister in such a compromising situation."

"I should have left you on the floor when you 'fainted'," he growled. "I should have known it was just an act."

Kikyou had cornered Inuyasha after his chat with the businessmen as he was walking by the balcony doors to return to Kagome. She had pleaded with him to hear her out, that she had something very important to tell him and that it also concerned Kagome. He was still prepared to brush her off, but she told him that she wished nothing but happiness for her little sister and she needed to find closure with him, so that she could move on with her life.

Reluctantly, and against his better judgment, Inuyasha had agreed to have the chat and she had led him into the gardens where she had claimed the music was softer and they could converse without shouting. She began her story by giving him along winded version of her life and how she became a model, her hopes, dreams and aspirations. Inuyasha was fast becoming bored and about to cut her off when he heard the words, "Kagome's boyfriend."

"Excuse me?" he interrupted. "Can you repeat that?"

Kikyou hid her smile. "I said, Kagome has an on again, off again boyfriend for the past ten years. His name is Naraku Onigumo and they used to be absolutely crazy about each other. They were so intense that it used to scare me sometimes. Well they broke up about an month and a half ago, and when I came to this fundraiser and I saw you and her, it didn't register that you two were an item, especially since Naraku is here as well. I thought they had patched up their difference and were back together again. I would have never made those comments if I had known otherwise. I feel so ashamed of myself, please, you must forgive me!"

"Onigumo is Kagome's past lover?" Inuyasha repeated in a daze. He knew Naraku and detested the man. Shikon Enterprises was Taisho Corporation's largest competitor and the CEO, Naraku Onigumo, showed no mercy or morals. How a woman like Kagome could get involved with a man like Naraku baffled him but he wasn't planning to take Kikyou's word only for it. He planned to find Kagome straight away and hear the truth from her own lips. He turned to the lit building and took a couple of steps towards it when a cry of distress came from the woman behind him.

"Oh no," she whimpered, sinking to her knees on the cobblestone path.

Inuyasha knelt by her side and frowned. "What's the matter?"

She smiled wanly at him. "I guess I forgot to eat earlier with all the running around. I think the lack of food has made me weak. Can you help me up please?"

He didn't bother to answer but simply stood and extended his hand to her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Naraku do as they had planned and corner Kagome so that she had no other choice but to run out onto the balcony. Kikyou felt a surge to malicious amusement as she prepared to put her plan into action.

'Enjoy THIS bitch,' she thought, as with one swift motion, she yanked down her strapless dress to her waist, then grabbed the hands of the startled sliver haired hanyou, placed them on her breasts and held them there while leaning up to plant an open mouthed kiss directly on his gaping lips.

"BASTARD!" the scream came from overhead.

Kikyou smiled as Inuyasha roughly pushed her away and stared in horror at Kagome's retreating back.


	7. Space Needed

**Sorry for the delay in uploading...I was down with the flu for the week and really felt like crap...head still kinda fuzzy while I was writing Chaps 7 & 8, so i'm not sure how much i really like them, since I think I could have made them longer. Don't worry though, these are just preludes to the real action...I can't just jump into it without giving some background first now can I?**

**P.S. Thanks as always for the reviews! Warms my heart to read them & I really appreciate the encouragement! :))))))))**

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 7

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Kagome sat huddled on the sofa in Sango's house, a steaming mug of hot chocolate cradled in her hands. She stared blankly at the television ahead of her as she related the events of the night in a lifeless monotone.

Sango frowned as she studied her best friend. Kagome looked like she had been to hell and back – her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her hair was in a mess, her complexion was blotchy but far worse was the dead look in her eyes as she told Sango what she had witnessed.

"I was a fool for thinking I could trust another man again," Kagome finished bitterly. "They all turn out to be the same."

"Not ALL are bad, Kags," Sango protested. "Sometimes you just have to kiss a lot of frogs before the prince comes along."

The other girl's eyes welled with tears. "I thought he WAS my prince. He seemed so perfect…but I can't deny the proof of my own eyes. He couldn't even wait until he dropped me home to sneak around with her, could he? I can't believe that she has that strong a hold over him."

"Maybe there's another explanation," Sango hesitantly began, only to be cut off fiercely.

"Like what?" Kagome flared, "She was suffocating and he was giving her mouth-to-mouth?"

Sango shrugged. "I was just playing devil's advocate." She took a sip from her own mug and glanced at her friend. "So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm flying out tonight for a few weeks. I can't go back to my apartment because if I know Inuyasha, he'll be waiting and staking out the place. I was planning to swing by the office first thing in the morning, collect my laptop and book an airplane ticket. Do you want to come with me? My treat," she cajoled.

Sango pondered the offer. She was mobile in terms of her career as she was a highly successful artist whose haunting scenes of folklore and the supernatural had made her one of the most popular painters of the decade. A change of scenery might actually be in her favour as well, since she found herself becoming less and less inspired of late. She smiled at Kagome before she could change her mind. "Yes, I'll come!"

Kagome beamed at her. "Thanks, Sango. You're really a great friend." She picked up her cell phone and then tossed it back down in disgust when she remembered that she had switched it off to avoid Inuyasha's calls. "Can I borrow your phone? I need to call the caretaker for the villa and let him know to stock up the kitchen for us."

"Sure thing," Sango waved her hand. "It's charging in my bedroom. By the way, which country are we going to? Your family house in Hawaii? The apartment in London?"

"Neither of them," Kagome called over her shoulder as she made her way to the phone. "I recently bought a villa in a Caribbean island named Tobago. It was purchased from my personal funds so no one associated with Higurashi Co. Ltd has any access to it besides me. I figured with my work schedule I would be using it ever so often to get away and relax….I just had no idea that I'd need it so soon however."

"TOBAGO?" Sango shrieked. "Where the hell is that Kagome?" Receiving no response, she jumped off the armchair and stalked into the bedroom where Kagome was deep in conversation on the cell phone. She waited there, tapping her foot impatiently until the younger girl came off the phone and then proceeded to pepper her with questions.

"Where exactly IS this Tobago place? What to pack? How long will we be gone for? What does it have to do there?"

"Relax Sango," Kagome replied soothingly. "You'll enjoy it there and we'll be gone for a month." Her eyes darkened. "That should be all the time I need to forget Inuyasha and Kikyou."

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Inuyasha was frantic with worry. After pushing Kikyou roughly aside, he had taken off in pursuit of Kagome, the other woman's derisive laughter ringing in his ears. He had searched for her through the crush of bodies at the party but her light, floral fragrance had been swallowed up by the odor of heavy perfume mixed with sweat.

Finally, giving up the search there, he decided to drive back to her apartment to wait her return. He waited all night, even calling her cell phone numerous times, only to growl in frustration as he received her voicemail greeting. Tossing the phone on the seat next to him, after what felt like the millionth call, he growled in frustration and buried his head in his hands.

"Kagome….," he murmured brokenly. "Why couldn't you have trusted me enough to at least hear me out and let me show you that it wasn't what it seemed?"

Exhausted, he let his head fall back against the back of the driver's seat and closed his eyes.

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"Oh wow!" Sango exclaimed as she took in the villa where they were staying. "This was worth the twenty hour flight, Kags! This island is absolutely gorgeous!"

Kagome turned to smile at the exuberant girl. "I told you so," she replied. "After hearing you complain for almost an entire day about having to fly, I was ready to toss you out of the airplane myself."

Sango stuck her tongue out at her. "That's because you spoiled me by getting me used to your family's private jet," she sniffed. "Why didn't we use it by the way?"

Kagome gave a mock groan and rolled her eyes. "You know, someone listening to you would swear that you didn't just get sponsored a seat in first class to a gorgeous island retreat, you ungrateful wretch." She motioned for Sango to follow her as she began to climb the winding staircase. "But to answer your question, I didn't want to have anyone know where I was flying to either. I need this time away from everything and everyone."

"Won't it affect your work though?" Sango asked worriedly.

"Hardly," Kagome denied. "Everything I need to do can be done via the internet and I can do meetings via video conferencing. Plus, this particular period is always one with a lesser degree of activity than the rest of the year, so it'll be fine. It's not as if I haven't worked from abroad before anyways."

She turned left at the top of the staircase and walked down a corridor to the door at the end. "This is your room," she informed Sango. "I hope you like it….i actually had you in mind while I was designing and decorating the finished product."

Sango stepped over the threshold and gasped. The room was incredible. It was painted in a kaleidoscope of blues, golds & greens to give the viewer the impression of a sunny, tropical beach. A motif of waves ran along the bottom of the walls and the cupboards and dressers were painted a light glittering gold that reminded Sango of sand glittering in the sun. A huge mirror took up an entire wall and two large glass double doors gave Sango a perfect view of the spacious balcony as well as the enormous pool area on the ground floor.

The bed was a king sized one, covered in a thick, soft aquamarine comforter with bright blue, green and yellow pillows arranged artfully on it. Spontaneously, Sango turned to a startled Kagome and hugged her hard. "I love it!" she exclaimed. "You always have impeccable taste Kags!"

Kagome laughed. "Thanks San," she replied. "Why don't you go ahead and unpack, while I go put my laptop and handbag in my room? And then we need to go shopping, because, as you recall, I left with just the clothes on my back. I need a new wardrobe!"

Sango brightened further. "Give me thirty minutes, to shower and change and you're on!" She tossed a small bag to Kagome, who looked at her in bewilderment.

"What's this" she asked the taller girl.

"Shorts and a top," was the smug reply. "I figured they'd be slightly big on you, but I was sure that you'd have wanted to bathe and get out of those grimy clothes when we arrived, that I made sure to pack a change of clothing from my stuff for you."

Kagome grinned at her. "You can be so smart, sometimes that it's scary, woman," she declared, before waving her thanks and exiting the bedroom.

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The next month passed in almost absolute bliss for the two friends. They relaxed on the beaches and worked on their tans, gorged themselves on the local cuisine – Sango in particular developed an extreme fondness of a sweet called 'sugar cakes' that were sold by a number of vendors on the island. Kagome would laugh at her friend's obsession with the dessert and tease her with the fact that when they were ready to leave, Sango might have to leave one suitcase solely for the transportation of the cakes back with them. They snorkeled, went onto the Buccoo Reef, visited the Nylon Pool, windsurfed, hiked, and even did some clubbing at the various nightspots in the island.

Gradually, the pained look began to leave Kagome's eyes as the magic of the getaway and the Caribbean sun eased her troubled mind and heart. She spoke true when she told Sango that it was slow period, hardly any new issues developed that needed her attention, and those that did arise, were dispatched with easily.

Kagome had left her cell phone switched off and in Sango's apartment and her intention was to never collect it but rather, to go straight to her service provider upon her return and get a new telephone number. She sent a prayer of thanks that she had never bothered to give Inuyasha her email address as she was sure that he would have used that avenue to try to contact her as well.

Sometimes, when she was unaware of it however, her features would grow sad and her lips would tremble as if they were trying to restrain a sob. She would always recover quickly, but Sango still worried for her friend. She was the one to hold Kagome and comfort her after the humiliating and degrading incident with Naraku and not even then, did she ever see Kagome as haunted as she was now. She could only hope and pray that everything would work out fine in the end.


	8. Trust Broken

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 8

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"They're back."

Inuyasha looked up as his partner entered his office. "How long now?" he queried.

"About three hours," Miroku replied. "Sango said that they needed to sleep….something about serious jet lag."

Inuyasha tapped his claws against the glass paperweight on his desk as he pondered his next move. Thanks to Miroku & Sango's burgeoning relationship, Sango had called Miroku to inform him that she and Kagome were leaving the country on a vacation. She had steadfastly refused to divulge the exact location – even thought Miroku had tried to guess at it every night they spoke. All she would tell them was that it was safe and incredibly lovely and that Kagome was slowly improving.

Inuyasha's well shaped mouth twisted sardonically. He thought it ironic that the more Kagome 'healed', the more resentful he became. He was pissed that she was not only apparently so lacking of trust in him, that she automatically believed the worst scenario, but he was also disappointed in and disgusted at her for running away instead of facing the situation head on and dealing with their issues.

'Obviously, she didn't care for me the way I did about her,' he reflected bitterly. 'I was willing to hear her side of the story concerning her and Naraku, but she couldn't be bothered to even contemplate doing the same for me.'

Miroku's voice broke into his angry musings. "What are you planning to do, Inuyasha?"

The hanyou looked up, and Miroku involuntarily took a step back at the rage burning in the golden eyes.

"Do?" Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm not going to do one fucking thing. I don't have time to run behind little girls who are too immature to realize that there are two persons in a relationship and that any problems that arise aren't all about them."

"I really don't think Kagome's like that," Miroku started, trying to defend her.

"Shut the fuck up," Inuyasha snarled. "How would you know? I was fucking her for a month, I was the one she said she wanted to spend her life with. I-I," his voice broke slightly before he regained control. "I was the one that the bitch told over and over again that she loved." His eyes blazed. "If you love someone, you don't run away from them and leave them frantic. You don't disappear from their existence without even the slightest warning. Did she even think about how scared and worried I was for those first two days before you told me that she and Sango were fine? So, Kagome can fuck away as far as I'm concerned. I want nothing more to do with her."

"But, Inuyasha, imagine how she must have felt, seeing you with her sister," Miroku explained.

"I know that it must have hurt her, Mir," Inuyasha acknowledged. "But as I told you, Kikyou planned her moves very efficiently. Her timing was impeccable and I didn't even have time to react to what was happening. Kagome didn't even stay long enough to see me push away Kikyou or to see the slut laugh in my face. She just assumed the worst right off the bat. And for that," he sighed heavily, "for that, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her."

Miroku shook his head sadly. Inuyasha had some hard life experiences growing up and as a result, trust was something he took very seriously. As a half breed, he was mocked by both humans and demons alike and often bullied until he became strong enough to look out for himself. He didn't even have the protection of his powerful family name back then because his father was unaware that the mortal woman that he had loved, had borne him a child before passing on. Inuyasha was raised by her brother and his wife, and while they were not physically abusive to him, they made it clear to the young boy that they cared nothing for him, mainly using him as a form of cheap labour to do all of the drudge work around the house. His older cousins frequently taunted him and took great pleasure in coming up with as many ways as possible to make his life a living hell.

It was by sheer luck, that on the morning of his fourteenth birthday, Inuyasha had skipped school and headed over to the museum where an exhibit of rare weapons was being held. The young boy was so fascinated with the swords on display, that he forgot to be mindful of where he was going, resulting in him tripping over another tall onlooker. Golden eyes met golden eyes and from then on, the rest was history.

Inuyasha was claimed by his father, removed from his current dwelling and installed in an enormous mansion in one of the richest areas in the city. He was given a private tutor and training on etiquette and decorum as well as grooming in many aspects of his father's large business. The young hanyou had a surprisingly agile mind – a fact that he had kept hidden from his mother's family as he did not want them to feel threatened and victimize him further. He proved to be a natural at business negotiations in particular, something that his father was extremely pleased about. During this time, he also met his half-brother, the daiyoukai, Sesshomaru. The two Taisho brothers were barely civil to each other at first, but time and their father's unexpected death, caused them to eventually warm up somewhat to each other as they realized that they were all that were left of the Taisho clan.

Inuyasha had met Miroku on his first day of college, when Miroku had taken one look at the group of seven aggressive boys surrounding the silver haired hanyou and had, without hesitation, jumped in to stand next to him. Even twelve years later, Miroku could remember that day clearly. Inuyasha had told him to back off because it wasn't his fight and the dark haired man had disagreed stating that an unfair fight was nobody's fight. In a matter of minutes, they had proceeded to whip the would-be bullies into shape, then turned to grin at each other and that was the start of a firm friendship.

Miroku was there to witness Inuyasha get victimized and taunted by strangers as well as hurt and betrayed by 'friends'. Little by little, he saw Inuyasha build up a wall around his heart and emotions, the defense getting tougher and stronger each time someone brought him more pain. After so many years, he had begun to lose hope that his friend would ever let his guard down enough to trust and love another person and attain true happiness in life.

Then Kagome came along.

The times she and Inuyasha were together were the only instances where Miroku actually saw the other man laugh with abandon, play silly games or show public affection to any woman. He vaguely remembered Kikyou dating Inuyasha, but truth be told, all he could recall was a pale, vain woman, who needed constant reassurance from his friend that she was the most beautiful woman around. Eventually her attitude had annoyed Inuyasha and he had broken it off with her, cleanly and quickly.

With Kagome, Inuyasha seemed alive in a way that Miroku never expected him to be. He took her to theme parks, cooked her dinner, even *Miroku snickered as he did every time he recalled that event*, stopped in the pharmacy one day when her period came early, to purchase tampons for her. The man was well and truly smitten and for him to have given his heart to her so unreservedly and to have her, in Inuyasha's viewpoint, throw it back at him, meant that the younger Taisho would once more retreat back into his shell, his defense against the world and barricade his heart even more tightly than before.

Miroku sighed inwardly. 'What have you done, Kagome?' he thought, sadly regarding the downbent silver head. 'I hope that you are well and truly over him, because there is no way in hell that he's ever going to come back to you.'


	9. Wolf By Name, Wolf By Nature

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 9

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Kagome sighed in frustration and tossed her pen on the desk. 'You'd think a huge project like this would get my brain back in order,' she fumed silently as she glared in disgust at the sketches in front of her. She had less than a week to meet a deadline for a very important product launch and the most creative thing that she could come up with so far was…..nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

The thing was that this project had been a personal favourite of hers since the Taisho/Higurashi venture and one that she had been determined to go all out for. Both companies had separate investments in top of the line fragrances and Higurashi's labs had just finished creating an incredible new scent just as the venture was complete. With the agreement of her mother and brother, Kagome had approached Sesshomaru and Inuyasha with the results and the proposal of another joint investment. The men were somewhat skeptical at when she first began, but after she gave a stellar presentation and coupled her forecast with samples of the perfume, they were quickly singing a different tune.

The plan was to market the fragrance to a very select niche, those who would not only recognize the scent for what it was worth, but who would also be able to pay for it. It was not often that Kagome approved of a product that was solely created for only the rich and famous, but the cost of producing even a small amount was absolutely astronomical.

Kagome had the launch all planned out. She would have used Kikyou as the face of the perfume, which would have been perfect in more ways than one. Kikyou was a top model but she also had no interest in Higurashi Co. Ltd, apart from the share of profits that she received from the company. However, it was stipulated in a contract that Kagome had encouraged her mother to have their lawyers draw up that, in the event that Higurashi needed to use Kikyou for any PR activities, product launches or similar events that the model would have to do it, pro bono. Now however, Kagome was in a bind, with the launch fast approaching and no model. She'd be damned if she was going to approach her sister and help further her career after what took place the last time they saw each other.

Kagome felt a headache starting to pound behind her temples as she pondered her options. Kikyou had really been perfect for the image that she wanted to project for the scent – ethereal and innocent, yet with an underlying touch of earthy seductiveness that had others wondering if the wearer was really as sweet as they seemed. It was the ideal fragrance to drive a man wild and Kagome intended to portray it as such. She had everything else in place, venue, guest list, the invitations were already sent out, the menu had been carefully selected and everything else seemed to be running smoothly. Kagome knew however, that it only took one misstep to bring years of research, development and hard work crashing down. No matter how opulent the trappings were, the customers' perception of the product had to be in sync with what the company wanted, or else everything would have been in vain. She groaned out loud and swiveled in her chair, looking out the enormous glass window at the city below her as her hand came up to rub the growing knot of tension at the nape of her neck.

"Let me do that for you, gorgeous," a deep male voice interrupted her dark thoughts and strong fingers pushed hers aside in order to begin a slow massage of her neck and shoulders. Kagome sighed in relief and smiled at the reflection of the dark haired man next to hers.

"Thanks Kouga," she said, as she felt her tense muscles relax. When she began to feel his touch become less of a massage and more of a caress however, she shrugged her shoulders, breaking off the contact and stood to face him.

"What's the occasion?" she asked, holding back a grin at his disappointed expression.

Kouga recovered himself quickly and quirked an eyebrow at her. His midnight blue eyes twinkled merrily as he spread his hands in an innocent gesture. "Do I need an excuse to come see my woman?"

"You're so full of b.s.," Kagome laughed. "You know I'll never even contemplate getting together with you, Ookami. Wolf by name and wolf by nature," she teased.

"I'm crushed," he exclaimed. "Really, I am! Is that how you think of me?"

"Cut it, Kouga," Kagome warned playfully. "I don't have time to trade vows of undying love today. I have some glitches with the launch on Saturday and I need to get them dealt with ASAP."

"Anything I can help with?" he asked.

"Well, maybe," Kagome conceded with a frown of concentration on her features as she went through a list of names and faces that her personal assistant had just emailed to her. "I need to get someone to use as the poster girl for Mezurashii and I need them like yesterday."

"What kind of image you were looking to project?" he questioned, coming around to peer at the laptop screen.

"Innocently sexy….the kind of girl that a man would go crazy longing to touch because she looks like an angelic virgin, while at the same time she gives the subtle impression that she'd be downright dirty and wicked in bed," Kagome replied.

Kouga's mouth dropped open. "Are you sure you're not running a fever?" he sputtered incredulously.

"I'm perfectly healthy," Kagome laughed. "What's wrong with you? And close your mouth before you start dripping saliva on my desk."

"It's just that I'd have never expected to hear a description like that come from YOU," he argued. "You are the last person in the world I would have pegged for talking about dirty sex. I don't think I've even heard you say the word 'sex' before in all the years I've known you, come to think of it."

Kagome shrugged lightly. "This fragrance calls for it," she stated. "There was no other way I could describe what I was looking for." She silently thanked the stars that she had never crossed paths with Kouga during her affair with Inuyasha as his demon sense of smell would have instantly picked up on the scent of not only the hanyou, but what they had been doing, all over her body and then he would have teased her about it for the rest of her life. She and Kouga had met through their respective businesses at a conference over five years ago and despite him trying to seduce her for a while, eventually, they had settled into a comfortable and easy friendship, with Kouga accepting that Kagome had no romantic feelings towards him, but making it clear that if she ever changed her mind, he'd take her up on her offer in an instant.

" – perfect for Mezurashii!"

"Pardon?" Kagome brought her thoughts back to the present and peered at the blue eyed demon. "Can you repeat that, Kouga?"

"You're getting soft, Higurashi," he scoffed. "Don't tell me you need you afternoon nap?"

"Spit it out Wolf Boy," she mocked.

He rolled his eyes and repeated his sentence. "I said, I think I know who would be perfect for Mezurashii," he drawled patiently.

"Who?" Kagome asked, not really expecting a viable answer.

"Kanna Yasui!" was the triumphant reply.

Kagome caught her breath. "Kouga, you're an absolute GENIUS!" she cried. "She's even better than the model that I had originally intended to use!" Jumping up, she gave him a quick hug, then began pushing him out of her office. "Thanks and bye…I have some calls to make."

"Hold up, Tornado," he laughed, placing a hand on the doorjamb and digging in his heels to prevent her from tossing him out fully. "I came by to ask for a favour."

"What is it?" Kagome questioned, her mind already picturing Kanna at the launch.

"I need a date for that launch that you so thoughtfully invited me to," he informed her. "But I'm not in the mood to have to fend off some airhead female that night – who will probably want me to purchase your no doubt exorbitantly priced perfume. So, you want to take pity on me and keep me company?"

"How do you know that I don't already have a date, idiot?" she huffed.

His answer was a deep belly laugh.

Resisting the urge to literally kick his ass, Kagome shook her head and smiled. "Fine, I'll be your 'date'. But you'll have to meet me there since I'll probably be there a couple of hours before the actual start to oversee the event."

"The anticipation is killing me," he intoned dryly. "Until Saturday, beautiful." And with a wink, he sauntered out of her office.

Kagome shook her head at the retreating male and quietly closed her door, her mind already back on the launch.


	10. Setting The Stage For Disaster

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 10

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Mezurashii was an instant hit. The crowd of 500 specially selected guests was awed by the entire experience. Kanna was exceptional, surpassing even Kagome's high standards as she dazzled potential buyers with her long, platinum hair, dark eyes, youthful beauty and seductive laugh. The hotel venue was decorated to give attendees the impression that they were in a hall of diamonds, with the rarest colour stone of them all, the red diamond, being represented by the shimmering bottles of perfume on display.

Each bottle was elegantly shaped and specially created to reflect light, with actual diamonds being placed together to create the cover. Over two hundred persons had already placed advance orders for their own fragrance and Kagome was riding a success induced high.

"Nothing could possibly spoil this night," she laughed in Kouga's arms as he spun her on the dance floor.

Never tempt the fates.

Kagome stumbled over a dance step as her gaze suddenly clashed with intense golden eyes. Kouga's arms tightened around her to prevent her from falling and she smiled her thanks at him. When she glanced back, Inuyasha was gone.

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Inuyasha swiftly made his way through the crowd to the bar and signaled the bartender. "Scotch. On the rocks," he ordered. Downing his drink in one swallow, he indicated that he needed a refill. This time, he sipped the alcohol slowly, his haunted gaze scanning the party for a flash of ebony hair and a blood red dress. He exhaled in relief as he saw Miroku making his way towards him and raised his glass in greeting.

"Hey Yash," the dark haired man called. "Drowning your sorrows?"

Inuyasha mumbled something insulting about Miroku's mother and a goat under his breath and glared at his friend. Then he remembered who it was that Miroku had escorted to the party and glanced around. "Where's Sango?" he asked.

"She had to use the ladies," Miroku replied. "And after that, she said she was going to look for well…you know….,"

Inuyasha almost smiled. It had been almost two months since the women had returned from their trip and Miroku had tried to refrain from using Kagome's name around Inuyasha as much as possible. The half-demon didn't really see the logic as the man was dating Kagome's best friend, but he went along with it anyways. Miroku was making such an effort to help Inuyasha move on with his life, that Inuyasha didn't have the heart to tell him that he was broken inside for good this time. It amazed him that this woman could have gotten under his skin and affected him to this extent in the short time that he had with her. He knew that Miroku was concerned about him, Inuyasha no longer showed any interest whatsoever in dating and he had thrown himself fully into work, arriving at Taisho headquarters early in the morning and working like a beast until late in the night, when he would either go home to sleep, or head over to Hedonism if it was his turn to supervise. If he was a normal human, the grueling pace he was setting for himself would have already resulted in a breakdown, but Inuyasha's supernatural abilities kept him up and running.

He knew Sesshomaru was growing concerned as well, but his half brother had yet to confront him on his new lifestyle. Inuyasha was actually looking forward to the lecture however; it was yet another opportunity for him to tell the older demon to go fuck himself. He knew what was wrong with him, even if the others did not. He remembered many instances where he had to hold back from marking Kagome as his mate during sex and although he never completed the mating process, his body recognized her as such. His mind however, balked at the thought, because he knew that no matter what he did, he was well and truly in a boatload of shit if she was really his mate.

'I can't believe that I'm here, suffering like an ass, and she's having the time of her life with Ookami,' he fumed silently. 'I haven't seen that dickhead since college. How does he know her though? And does she have to apparently date all of my enemies?'

With that thought, he knocked back the contents of his drink and stalked off for another round.

'What the fuck,' he thought darkly. 'Since I can't get laid, I might as well get drunk.'

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Kagome glimpsed Inuyasha a few more times that night and each time, her heart twisted in pain. He looked so handsome in his formal clothes, the black of his jacket and pants complementing his silver hair perfectly. For once, he had tamed his long mane in a single sleek ponytail that reached to the back of his waist and she found herself itching to release the thick mass and see it fall around his shoulders. She remembered the times during lovemaking when he would prop himself up above her body and allow his hair to cascade over them like a silver waterfall, shutting out the world around. Oh, how she loved tangling her fingers through the silky strands when his head was between her legs, his skilled tongue driving her crazy and making her scream out his name in ecstasy. Ruthlessly, she shoved the memories back, as yet another person came up to her to congratulate her on the fragrance.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the object of her thoughts exiting the ballroom and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. Kouga came up to her soon after, bearing a flute of champagne and she accepted it gratefully from him, the cool liquid refreshing a throat that had suddenly gone dry.

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Naraku smiled to himself as he saw Inuyasha enter the hotel restaurant. He and his companion, Takemaru were sitting at the bar and he could see the reflection of the half demon as he took a seat two stools away. Naraku's back was to the other man, and he knew that the scents of food and other persons around would mingle with his, so that Inuyasha would not be aware of his presence until he was ready.

It was no mere coincidence that he was there that night. Kikyou had called him and informed him that Kagome and Inuyasha would both be attending the event and that while she was almost positive that they were no longer an item, she wanted to ensure that that was the case.

Naraku pretended to play along with her plan, but he had intentions of his own. Seeing Kagome at the dinner with Inuyasha had resulted in a new obsession with the younger Higurashi sister. He had fucked Kikyou a few times in the past and although the model was always game for any of the sexually depraved games that he had in mind, she had long ago lost that innocence and yes, fear, that made Naraku enjoy the act so much more.

He felt himself grow hard as he remembered taking Kagome's virginity, at the way how her trusting expression had turned to pain and horror and how she had screamed until her voice was hoarse, crying for him to stop. It was an experience that he relived over and over and a memory that never failed to arouse him. He had all intentions of repeating the exercise, and if along the way, he could bring down one of his biggest rivals….well the victory would be even sweeter.

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Inuyasha sat on the barstool and nursed his drink. He had switched from scotch to straight vodka, hitting back two drinks as soon as he had taken a seat and now staring morosely into the third.

'Good thing I had the foresight to book a room here,' he thought. 'I have all intention of getting so shitfaced that I won't even remember my name.'

He had honestly thought that he was improving slightly, but seeing Kagome, looking on as she laughed and socialized, with that fucking Kouga at her side, well, he didn't think there were words to describe how devastated he was feeling just then. He swirled the liquid inside his glass and contemplated the mess that his life was in, all because of one human woman.

"Fuck," he cursed, draining his glass and ordering a double for his next drink.

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Naraku watched slyly as the hanyou finished his sixth glass of alcohol before making his move. By then, he knew that not even a half demon's regenerative abilities would be able to sober him up fast enough and it was his hope that Inuyasha would be so drunk that he would fly into a rage and make a spectacle of himself and Kagome in front of her guests. With an evil chuckle, he began putting his plan into action.

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"Kagome Higurashi?"

The name of the woman who had been tormenting his thoughts pierced Inuyasha's vodka induced haze. His ears twitched in annoyance as he recognized the next voice.

"The one and only," Naraku confirmed smoothly. "I'll be heading up to her room shortly. She gave me a key and told me that she'll be staying the night in the hotel after everything wraps up. She begged me to come with her but I'd much rather not have to deal with the socializing unless it is absolutely necessary. Although….." he paused and chuckled, "I must admit, the ways she finds to say thanks for coming with her to the ones I DO attend more than compensates for the boredom of the events."

The next man laughed. "I'll bet, man. She looks like she's something else in bed."

"Yes, she is," Naraku purred. "What else do you expect? She and I have been lovers ever since I took her virginity ten years ago and no matter who she has in her life, she always comes running back to me when I call. She knows that nobody else can bring out the side of her that I can."

Inuyasha growled almost inaudibly. 'That's a lie asshole,' he thought. 'She was never with you while she was with me. I was the only man who left my scent on her.'

"There was this once bothersome asswipe a couple of months ago," Naraku continued, hiding his smile as he heard a muted growl behind him. "She was dating him and it turned out he was cheating on her with her sister." He laughed. "It worked out to my advantage however, she flew out of the country and as soon as she returned, called my phone and we picked up right where we had left off. I tell you…..," his voice trailed off momentarily, "the things she lets me do to her when she's ready to fuck are unbelievable. I don't know what that half breed was doing, but obviously it wasn't what she wanted. Like the time when she stripped naked on the balcony of my apartment and turned her ass to me, exposing that beautiful strawberry pink birthmark shaped like a star right under her left ass cheek, bending over, so I could see her entire pussy, dripping wet and hear her voice begging me to -,"

He broke off, as Inuyasha had decided that he couldn't take any more and had pushed off unsteadily from his barstool, stumbling slightly as he left the restaurant.

'Checkmate,' he thought smugly.

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'How the fuck did he know about Kagome's birthmark?' Inuyasha fumed mentally. 'I thought she never slept with him, but it seems as if I may have been wrong. There's only one way anyone can see that birthmark because of how it's actually located.'

He knew that he was drunk and the room was beginning to spin. He looked up in surprise as he reached the lobby and saw that he was by the elevators. One of the lifts was preparing to close, the doors were actually almost shut, when he whipped his hand in between the metal doors, causing them to slide back open as he swiftly stepped inside.

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Kagome yawned as she felt tiredness overtake her. It had been a very long day and everything was beginning to take a toll. Luckily, she had booked a room in the hotel, because she knew full well that she would have been too exhausted to drive back to her apartment after the launch. Inuyasha had not returned since his departure over two hours ago and she felt safe in assuming that he had already left the premises. Quickly, she said her goodbyes to Kouga, Sango and Miroku and made her way to the elevators in the near deserted lobby.

After less than a minute of waiting, one lift opened up and Kagome stepped inside the spacious box. As the doors began to close, she looked down into her clutch, searching for her room card. At the very last second before the doors closed, a hand was placed in the space, halting them and as they reopened, the last person on earth that she wanted to share an elevator with slipped inside.

"YOU!" she gasped.

If it was any consolation, Inuyasha looked just as stunned to see her. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I'm going to my room, not like it's any of your business," she replied hotly. "Are you stalking me?"

He scoffed. "Clearly, you're deranged woman. Why the fuck would I be stalking you? I'm going to my room as well." He looked her up and down. "Going up to get ready for a night of hot sex are you?"

The sound of her palm crashing on his face was shockingly loud in the sudden silence.

He growled and grabbed her shoulders, pushing her roughly against the mirrored wall. "You little shit," he ground out between clenched fangs.

She struggled fiercely, raising her hands to his broad shoulders in a futile attempt to free herself. "Let me go, or I'll –"

"Or you'll what?" he smirked. "Scream? Do you really think anyone is going to hear you if you do?"

"You bastard," she whispered, chocolate brown eyes swimming with tears as they clashed with gold ones.

"You bitch," he groaned, before swooping in and claiming her lips in a savage kiss.

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Kagome moaned into his mouth as his tongue danced over hers. Dimly she was aware of him pressing a floor button but she was too overwhelmed by the feel of his hot mouth ravishing hers in a kiss that aroused as much as it punished. Within seconds, they arrived at his floor and stumbled out of the elevator, into the hallway. Not breaking the kiss, he picked her up and urged her to wrap her legs around his waist as he made his way unsteadily to his room. He managed to retrieve his card from the front of his jacket pocket and inserted it into the slot next to the door. Luckily the bed wasn't too far away and they collapsed onto it, Inuyasha's arms supporting his body and preventing him from crushing her more delicate frame.

With one swift movement, his claws ripped away her shimmering red cocktail dress and he groaned as he saw the red bra and thong that she wore underneath.

"You and your underwear will be the death of me," he muttered, before lowering his head to kiss her nipple through the sheer fabric.

Kagome cried out at the sensation and arched her back, silently pleading for more. He reached behind her and unhooked the garment, tossing it aside. His mouth descended once more, taking a nipple into his mouth and sucking gently on it at first and gradually getting rougher as she whimpered and urged him on. His claws reached down to the string of her thong and he sliced the waistband of the scrap of fabric, baring her to his touch.

She frantically pushed his jacket off his shoulders and grabbed the front of his dress shirt, pulling the edges apart. Buttons went flying and Inuyasha chuckled darkly as the shirt followed his jacket onto the floor.

"Somebody's impatient," he teased, only to be cut short as she pushed unexpectedly at him, causing him to topple over next to her. He watched behind hooded lids as she deftly unbuttoned his trousers, raising his hips to accommodate her as she slid both pants and boxers down his legs, leaving him reclining against the sheets, a young naked god, awaiting her eager worship.

He inhaled sharply as she bent over and her lips engulfed the head of his arousal, "Fuck, Kagome," he moaned, fingers clenching in the bedsheets. "That feels so fucking good…"

Her tongue swirled around the tip and slowly, ever so slowly, she began moving her head downwards until almost all of him was inside of her warm, wet mouth. She began moving her head up and down, placing her hand below her mouth as she did, so that every inch of him was being stroked. He was moaning and whispering incoherently, urging her on, pleading with her to go faster and faster.

And she obeyed. She kept the rhythm up until, with one final swirl of her tongue, Inuyasha cried out and arched his back, spilling his seed into her mouth. She gentled her movements, softly milking him, until he relaxed, his head falling weakly to the side. A smile curved her lips as she kissed her way up his sculpted body until her lips reached a flat nipple. Her tongue flicked out to toy with it and she grinned inwardly as she felt his member twitch against her hip. She nipped him slightly and with a growl, he flipped her over onto her stomach next to him and covered her body with his.

He pushed her hair to the side and bit down on her neck, not hard enough to break the skin but enough to make her cry out in pleasure. His hand slid over her ass and entered her from behind, two fingers moving in a slow, merciless rhythm inside of her.

"So wet," he murmured against her neck as his fingers continued to fuck her. She writhed against his hand, willing him to stop his torture and replace his fingers with what she really wanted. She felt him smile as he recognized her frustration and then his fingers withdrew. She moaned her disappointment and he laughed softly as he turned her over to face him.

"So eager to have my cock inside you Kagome? I wonder though, is it mine you want or will any prick do for you?"

Her eyes flew open at his words. "Inuyasha, what are you saying?" she asked bewildered. She began to struggle as he parted her legs and lay in between them. "Get off me!" she raged.

He silenced her with a rough, possessive kiss. "Not a chance in hell, lover," he whispered when they surfaced for air. He palmed her left breast, and lowered his head to it, licking, suckling and nipping, before turning to the other one. Only when Kagome was gasping and raking her long nails down his back, did he kiss his way down her stomach and with his strong hands part her legs even further so that her glistening sex was fully exposed to his golden gaze.

He traced her folds with his tongue, lightly at first, then becoming rougher as she cried out and tangled her fingers in his hair. He used his tongue to lave her core, licking from the entrance of her passage straight up to her clit in one smooth motion. Kagome screamed, her body arching off the bed as he continued with his sensual torture, taking her close to the edge, but never allowing her to fall off. Just when she thought she could take no more, his tongue circled the tiny bud of sensation and he began to alternate between sucking and flicking at it, while at the same time, slipping two fingers deep inside her.

She shattered.

Screaming his name over and over again, she rode out the orgasm as the world exploded around her. Before the tremors subsided, he had moved to a kneeling position and raised her legs high in the air, hooking her knees around his shoulders. With a speed that no human could ever hope to achieve, he rammed into her, causing her to cry out once more at the intense pleasure of him touching her deepest areas. This time, he didn't bother to start gently, pounding into her with a ferocity that had her second climax coming almost immediately. Even then, he continued, picking up speed and angling even deeper.

"Faster, faster, oh God Inuyasha, fuck me….." she urged, her cries fueling him on more. He felt her body tighten as her third orgasm approached and he withdrew almost totally out of her body, before slamming back into her, burying himself to the hilt. Over and over he repeated the action, until she screamed one final time and the walls of her passage tightened almost unbearably on him, her last climax triggering his. With a moan, he emptied himself into her body, before releasing her and falling to the side, blackness overtaking him as he passed out cold.

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'What have I done?' Kagome wailed to herself as she looked at the man lying next to her. The smell of alcohol was extremely strong, making her realize that he had passed out in a drunken stupor. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her eyes widening with horror as she realized what the wetness between her legs meant.

"We didn't use protection," she whispered in shock. "How could I have been so stupid?"

Quickly, she gathered her clothing and opened the closet door, grabbing the complimentary robe and throwing it over her naked body. She made her way to the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth, moistening it before returning to her unconscious ex-lover and cleaning all signs of their encounter from his body. He gaze softened slightly as she studied him and how young and innocent he looked when sleeping and before she could stop herself, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, before gently drawing the comforter over his nude body and walking quietly out of his room and out of his life for good.

Or so she hoped.

It was too bad that fate had other plans in store for them.


	11. The Morning After

**I'M SO, SO, SO SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY IN UPDATING! LIKE I SAID PREVIOUSLY, LIFE HAS THIS WAY OF CREEPING UP ON ME AND TURNING EVERYTHING UPSIDE DOWN! **

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 11

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Something had taken a shit in his mouth and decided to die while doing so.

Inuyasha groaned as he gingerly cracked open one bleary eye and immediately regretted the action as it triggered off what felt like the equivalent of a wrecking ball smashing into his brain. The unfamiliar surroundings finally registered and he sat up slowly as he surveyed the room he was in.

'Where the fuck am I?' he thought.

Bits and pieces of the night before gradually became coming back to him – the launch party, seeing Kagome with Kouga, drinking steadily by the bar and finally, hearing Naraku tell his friend that he was going to spend the night with Kagome. After that however, everything was blank and try as he might, he could not recall leaving the restaurant and coming up to his room.

His stomach rebelled and he flung off the covers, making it to the bathroom just in time to empty whatever remained into the toilet bowl. Whimpering a bit at the pain in his head, he staggered to his feet and made his way to the glass enclosed shower.

He turned on the water and let the cool spray wash over his body and soothe his raging headache. He lathered himself with body wash before squirting shampoo and conditioner in his hair and then rinsing out his entire body, washing away the sweat and grime from the previous day. His forehead wrinkled as he caught a faint whiff of what smelled like Kagome on him, but he shrugged it off, thinking that it was most likely from being in the ballroom with her for those few torturous hours.

"What the hell did I drink?" he mumbled, raising his face to let the water fall upon him. "Must have been a shitload of alcohol if it was able to get me that wasted."

Turning off the shower, he stepped out of the glass enclosure and reached for the thick towels hanging on the rack to his left. He quickly dried his body with one, before wrapping it around his lean waist, and used the other to rub at his hair. After doing so, he picked up his toothbrush and thoroughly brushed his fangs. He exited the bathroom and padded over to the large closet, pulling open the doors to reach for the white terry-cloth robe that he remembered seeing in there the day before.

"What the - ?" he muttered in surprise, realizing that the garment that he was searching for was nowhere in sight. He leaned in further, peering into all corners, before ascertaining that it really wasn't there. Sighing, he decided that it was a sign to quit lazing around in the hotel, get dressed and check out. He made his way to where he had tossed his overnight bag on the armchair in a corner of the room and opened the zipper, pulling out a pair of faded light blue jeans and a short sleeved white shirt.

Already, the severity of his hangover had eased, thanks to his demon blood, and he was able to function with only slight nausea and a headache that was much less intense than the one he had woken up to. Bitterly, he wondered if Kagome was now stirring in Naraku's arms and he almost bent double at the pain that the thought caused him.

Growling in rage and hurt, he quickly packed his things and left the hotel room, hoping as he did so that he would not run into either of them.

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Kagome stirred slightly and stretched languidly. Her body felt sore in so many places but she also felt incredibly sated. Her lips curved in a smile as she remembered the encounter with Inuyasha a few hours ago and although the fleeting thought of them not using protection once more flitted through her mind, she shrugged it off resolutely. There were ways to deal with that, she reminded herself and she'd make sure and stop in a pharmacy on her way home. Thankful that she was not required to go back to the ballroom and supervise the cleaning and dismantling of props and decorations from the night before, she threw back the sheets and made her way to the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth, she tied her hair up in a messy bun and treated herself to a long, hot soak in the huge bathtub, staying in the fragrant water until it began to get cool. She dried herself and quickly pulled on a pair of black hipster jeans and a forest green baby tee that stopped just under her navel. Over that, she pulled a lightweight black cardigan and after slipping on oversize silver hoops and a light touch of eyeliner, mascara and clear lip gloss, she packed her bag and donned flat black calf high boots before walking out of the room.

Her first stop after collecting her car was at the first pharmacy she saw. After parking, she sat facing the building, hands clenched so tightly around the steering wheel that her knuckles began to turn white.

The last time she had done this was ten years ago and she struggled to keep the horrors of the past from tainting the bittersweet memories of the previous night. Taking deep breaths, she managed to calm the approaching panic attack and before she could lose her nerve, she opened the car door and walked inside the building.

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"What are you taking?"

Kagome nearly choked on the mouthful of water that she had just put in her mouth. Swallowing with an effort, she spun around to face the curious brunette.

"Sango!" she sputtered. "You could have killed me!"

"Not likely," was the retort as the other girl spied the small box lying on the kitchen counter. Swiftly, she leaned across Kagome and snatched it up, her eyes narrowing as she read the label.

"Kagome, why are you taking an ECP?"

Kagome sighed. "It's a long story," she hedged. Sango crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow sternly.

"I kind of….sort of…well…hadsexwithInuyashalastnight." The last part of the sentence was a jumble of words.

"You WHAT?" Sango shrieked. "After all of your efforts to move on, you did WHAT?"

"It gets even better," Kagome informed her. "Are you ready?"

"Oh joy," Sango intoned dryly. "Pray tell, continue."

"Well it seems like he was really drunk, which is probably why he lost control the way he did, but when all was said and done, I realized that we had forgotten to use a condom."

Sango groaned and stalked towards the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of beer, popped the top and took a long swallow of the liquid inside. "So why the morning-after pill?" she finally asked.

Kagome shrugged. "When I lost my virginity, the person who I was with didn't use a condom either." Her eyes darkened at the scenes that flashed through her mind. "I was terrified that I'd get pregnant and be bound to that bastard for the rest of my life. My friend Yura was a lot more experienced than I was at that age and she told me about these pills. She even went out and bought them for me. They worked and I didn't get pregnant, even though it was right around the most dangerous time of the month for me. So I stopped at a pharmacy on the way home and picked up a supply."

She gestured for Sango to follow her into the living room area. Both girls threw themselves onto the huge, comfortable sofa in front of the television and Kagome switched on the set.

Suddenly, a thought hit Sango. "Wait a minute, if you guys had sex, then that must mean that he's not as mad at you that Miroku has been claiming! Wait until I wring that unreliable neck of his!"

"NO!" Kagome exclaimed. "You can't tell Miroku – EVER! Please! I don't even know if he remembers what happened last night. He was pretty intoxicated and if he doesn't remember anything, then I'd like to leave it like that." Her eyes met those of her friend's pleadingly. "Please, please, don't tell anyone unless they know for sure what took place."

Sango sighed. "I think you're making a mistake, Kags," she warned. "But I'll do it your way – for now. However, if Miroku asks me point blank if you slept with Inuyasha that night, I'm not going to lie about it. Deal?"

Kagome smiled gratefully at the other girl. "Deal." She picked up the remote and quirked an eyebrow. "What movie do you want to watch then?"

"A good horror!" was the reply.

"Figures," she groaned.

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**A/N - OK…this chapter is pretty short and I'm really sorry about the delay in uploading…every I try to take the time to continue something crops up and stops me. Plus, my muse seems to have deserted me *sigh***


	12. Of Plots And Payback

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 12

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Inuyasha growled in frustration as he slammed down the telephone. He pressed the button on the intercom in front of him and barked into the device.

"Ari!" he called.

"Yes, Mr. Taisho?" His secretary's cool, unflappable voice floated out of the speaker.

"I need the Takahashi file urgently," he instructed. "I'll be taking it back to my apartment with me as well to fine tune tonight. This deal is far too important to allow any mistakes and it seems as if everyone else is too incompetent for Sesshomaru's lofty standards." He bared his teeth at the now silent telephone.

"Right away, sir," she assured him. "Before I go, there is a Miss Kikyou Cho who arrived a few minutes ago, waiting here. She claims that she had an appointment with you?"

Inuyasha laughed scornfully. "Tell her that the only time I entertain whores is when I'm paying for their services. That will be all, Ari." He clicked the OFF button and turned his attention to his laptop.

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Kikyou could feel her face flaming in rage and embarrassment. She had taken extra care with her appearance that morning before heading out to the Taisho Headquarters and had encountered no problems with getting past security until she was able to stand next to Inuyasha's secretary's desk. She had just informed the girl who she was, and lying through her teeth claimed to have an appointment with him, when his voice had crackled through the intercom on the desk.

"That fucking bastard," she fumed through clenched teeth. Her furious gaze swung up to clash with the secretary's own as the other woman spoke up.

"I'm sorry Miss Cho, but you will have to leave."

"I can see that, you twit," she hissed as she turned on her heel and stalked towards the elevator.

Once the doors closed behind her, she let out a frustrated shriek and clenched her hands. 'This isn't over yet, Inuyasha,' she swore silently. 'You'll pay dearly for that.'

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Naraku exclaimed in annoyance as his cell phone rang shrilly, shattering the silence in his office. A quick glance at the caller ID had his lips curling in derision as he pressed the 'Talk' button.

"What is it?" he asked curtly.

Kikyou's enraged voice blasted his sensitive hearing through the speaker and he winced, holding the device at arms length while she ranted on and on about being insulted and wanting payback. He actually yawned a couple of times before something she said caught his attention.

"Repeat that last sentence," he ordered.

She huffed. "Were you even LISTENING to me? I said…I should have just stormed in there with that stupid Takahashi file that he was so interested in and made him eat every page!"

'Takahashi,' Naraku mused. 'How interesting…..'

For years, he had been trying to infiltrate the Takahashi empire. The family owned a chain of the most luxurious beach resorts worldwide and they were the standard to which many other hotels tried to imitate. The _Sans Souci_ Resorts lived up to their name in all aspects. Guests were urged to leave their cares and worries behind as soon as they entered the gates of each place and their every whim and desire was catered to. With all inclusive packages ranging from slightly expensive to ridiculously exorbitant, a _Sans Souci _hotel was the ultimate destination getaway.

Naraku frowned as he contemplated the fact that the Taisho brothers were also interested in the chain and he was curious as to the response of the remaining Takahashi heir, Sari Takahashi, to their proposal. It was common knowledge that the heiress had no interest in the company and that she already had more money that she could ever hope to spend in ten lifetimes.

Naraku himself had approached her, but she had turned him down flatly. His fist clenched as he remembered that incident and how something in his face must have frightened her, because her hand had been moving towards the button under her desk to summon her security before he had managed to gather his emotions, nod coolly to her and walk off.

"Kikyou, shut up for a moment, will you?" he snarled into the phone. "I'm tired of hearing you bitch about your pathetic little life and all the shit that you're supposedly going through."

"You fucking bastard," came the reply on the other end.

"I don't have time to banter petty names back and forth," he chided. "Now tell me, do you really want revenge on Inuyasha?"

"You know I do," she shot back. "Why? Do you have something in mind?"

"Yes I do actually," he purred, a devious smile curving upon his lips. "Can you use your powers to alter your shape and scent to look and smell like, oh say, your sister?"

Kikyou laughed. "It won't be a hundred percent perfect and I can only hold the illusion for about thirty minutes before it fizzes out but I think I can manage. What do you want me to do?"

"Listen carefully," Naraku instructed. "If this works, we can get our revenge on Inuyasha, Kagome and Taisho Corp all in one move…."

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	13. Covert Operations

**Ok, before I continue, I'd just like to say THANK YOU! for the reviews and the interest in the story! I like creating these to give my overactive imagination room to run wild in addition to being a method of de-stressing, so it really was amazing to see the responses from everyone.**

**HopelessRomantic183**** – you sort of have an idea as to what is coming up in the next chapter but things aren't always as they seem! I love reading your theories though, so feel free to continue. **

**And thanks to ****CityOfFallenAshes****, ****TiffyTaffy0409**** , ****jinulover, ****vanialex****, ****Breeluv****, ****Aithecat****, ****Tensa-Zangetsu102****, ****SerenityMoonPrincess****, ****xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx****, and anyone else I've forgotten for their patience while waiting for me to upload and their reviews that make me want to write more, even if sometimes it's only for the sole purpose of putting them out of their suspense lol. **

**I hope you enjoy these next two chapters!**

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 13

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Kikyou hurried to the door as she heard the chime of the bell. Naraku stood outside, a sly smile on his face as he waited for her to step aside and allow him entry. As he brushed past her, she shivered in both disgust and longing as his bare arm came into contact with hers. How she could desire that sadistic excuse for a half-demon was beyond her but her emotions were curiously jumbled when it came to him. It didn't help matters that he was obviously fixated on her oh-so-saintly younger sister, particularly when he constantly made it clear that every time he took her, Kikyou, to bed, that it was really Kagome he was picturing under him.

Standing in her spacious living room, Naraku turned to face her. "Switch on the light," he commanded. "Let me see you properly."

She instantly complied, her chin rising defiantly as her features were illuminated. She heard his sharp intake of breath and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I have to hand it to you, Kikyou," he murmured in approval. "Whatever spell you used, worked like a charm. You look identical to her."

"No spell, Naraku," she laughed, tilting her head to study him coyly. "My sister and I always shared a strong resemblance. I wouldn't be a top model if I didn't know how to use makeup to look like someone who is practically my twin, now would I?"

He simply raised an eyebrow and continued as if she hadn't spoken. "What are you going to do about your scent, however?" he asked. "I doubt modeling taught you how to conceal your scent from someone with demon blood."

She shrugged. "A simple hurdle to cross. I'll simply erect a small, but extremely powerful barrier around myself. It's invisible to the naked eye but it'll hide my smell most efficiently."

"And how do you plan to leave your sister's scent then, pray tell?" he questioned.

"You didn't let me finish," she chided. "I have access to Kagome's apartment, since I stayed by her not too long ago. She gave me a spare passcard and forgot to take it back. The guards are human and they never even realized that I was not her when I dropped into her apartment earlier while she was at work to 'borrow' some of her clothes and jewelry. After I create the barrier tonight – which by the way will cover ONLY my skin and hair, NOT clothing – I will dress in her stuff and viola! Kagome!"

Naraku eyed her appraisingly. "Not bad," he complimented. "How are you planning to get into Inuyasha's home however, with all that security that he and Sesshomaru have installed on the grounds?"

"He's not going to the Taisho mansion tonight," she grinned. "I heard him tell his secretary that he was going to his apartment. As luck would have it, I have a 'friend' who lives a couple of floors down from him, who has graciously agreed to inform the doorman that he is expecting 'Kagome Higurashi' sometime during the course of the evening." Her eyes sparkled with malice. "Even if Inuyasha thinks that his precious Kagome would never stoop so low as to stealing information from him, the security cameras and the testimony of the doorman himself would be enough to damn her. And just to place the icing on the cake….AND to reward Nyo for all of his help, I'll let the tapes show 'Kagome' going into his apartment for a couple of hours of who-knows-what before 'she' leaves."

Naraku's expression was one that was almost admiring. "It seems as if you have thought this out extremely well, my sweet," he agreed. "One final question though. How do you propose to sneak past Inuyasha's demon hearing?"

"Oh! Did I forget to mention the best part?" she remarked. "I just 'happened' to glance at his schedule while I was standing next to his bitch of a secretary. Tonight he will be in Hedonism since Sesshomaru and Miroku are both out of the country until this weekend and Inuyasha has to pick up the slack until they return."

Naraku grinned. "You can be a formidable enemy, Kikyou. I am most impressed. Now be a good girl and get me the information on that file as soon as you can. I have the feeling that the contents are going to be extremely beneficial to me." He leaned over and grasped the back of her head, pulling her into a punishing kiss. Kikyou gasped and he took advantage of that to thrust his tongue into her mouth. Even as she struggled, she felt her resolve to deny him weaken, especially as he broke the kiss, moving his mouth to her earlobe where he nipped lightly.

"We still have quite a few hours until tonight, my pet," he purred. "It would be a shame to waste all of that hard work you put into changing your appearance, now would it?" His claws ripped open the robe that she wore and his red eyes glowed slightly. "You DID say the barrier would conceal all scent from your skin hmmmmmm?" His keen sense of smell caught the whiff of both fear and arousal and he chuckled darkly, pushing her still struggling body onto the plush carpet.

"Go on," he coaxed. "Fight me. You know how much it excites me when my prey tries to escape….." His mouth descended to one full breast and Kikyou moaned, surrendering to her body's darkest desires.

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A few hours later, Kikyou parked a few cars down from the front of the upscale building where Inuyasha's penthouse apartment was located and waited patiently for the sight of silver hair. Her efforts came to fruition after only twenty minutes and she smiled in triumph as she saw her target striding quickly from the building and into a waiting SUV. Kikyou caught a glimpse of the driver and sneered as she recognized him.

"They still use that old fart Myoga as a chauffeur?" she muttered. "How ridiculously sentimental."

She sat in her vehicle for another thirty minutes, until a glance at the dashboard clock informed her that it was 10:00pm – Hedonism's opening time. Confident that Inuyasha would not be returning unexpectedly as long as the club was open, she quickly exited the car and sauntered to the entrance of the apartments. She was dressed in Kagome's dark blue, low rise jeans and a black v-neck baby T that ended just on her navel. In her ears delicate crystal teardrop earrings sparkled and a matching silver chain and pendant fell from her neck to just under her breasts. She had spent extra time and care on perfecting her facial disguise and had used a curling iron and hairspray in order to give her normally pin straight hair the appearance of her sister's wavy locks.

Upon being greeted by the doorman, she smiled, a trifle seductively and murmured, "Kagome Higurashi…here to Apartment Three."

"Very good, Miss Higurashi. Can you sign your name and the time of your arrival here please?" the doorman asked.

"Of course," she agreed, taking the proffered pen. "Can't be too careful these days, right?" With a flourish, she signed 'K. Higurashi' and '10:09pm' in the book before returning both items to the man across the counter.

'Good thing I learned to forge the bitch's handwriting since high school days,' she thought smugly. Her smiled widened as the doorman waved her on and she strolled to the elevator, stepping inside the cab and giving him a slight wave before the doors closed, blocking her from view.

She pressed the button for Apartment Three, even though Inuyasha's apartment was on the fifth floor. It wouldn't do to make the man downstairs suspicious if he saw the numbers at the top of the doors going all the way up, especially since he would be aware that the occupant of that particular floor had already left for the night. When the doors opened on Three, Kikyou slipped out and keeping to the shadows of the dim hallway, quickly entered the stairwell. She raced up the two flights of stairs and pushed open the door cautiously, peering around to make sure that the area was deserted.

Once she was assured that it was, she made her way to Inuyasha's front door and with a small push of her powers, was able to manipulate the electronic lock to disengage. The sudden beeping sounded abnormally loud in the empty hall and she jumped a bit, startled at the sound. Shaking her head at her foolishness, she entered the spacious apartment. She reached into her small purse and pulled out a tiny but powerful flashlight, switching it on and using the beam to light her way. She had spent a couple of nights here already while she and Inuyasha were dating and she remembered the layout of the place well. Stealthily making her way to the room that he had set up as his office, she elbowed open the partially ajar door, stepping into the room and pushing the door almost closed behind her before flicking the light switch.

The room was instantly awash in brightness, causing her to blink as her eyes readjusted to the change. Switching off the flashlight, she made her way to the large polished oak desk and sifted through the files scattered across the vast surface.

"Always such a slob, Inuyasha," she tsked softly, her nimble fingers discarding unwanted folders with deft precision.

Her eyes lit up as she finally found what she was searching for and quickly pulling out a slim state of the art digital camera from her purse, she began snapping pictures of each page. Her task took her little over an hour and when completed, she hurriedly arranged the desk as closely to its former state as she could recall. She exited the apartment swiftly and heard the lock beep twice as it reengaged. Like a shadow, she slipped back down the stairs to knock on the door of Apartment Three and be welcomed inside by the eager resident.

A little after 2am, a disheveled and thoroughly mussed woman stepped out into the hallway, this time making sure to step into the light and tilt her face slightly to the security camera, so that the whisker burns on her tender cheeks were clearly exposed. She pressed the elevator button and stepped into the lift as it arrived, satisfied that the last nail had been driven into the coffin of Inuyasha's feelings for Kagome.


	14. Hate That I Love You

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 14

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Inuyasha yawned as he watched the staff complete the closing of Hedonism for the night. He was thoroughly exhausted – which was a difficult state for a half demon to achieve. However, ever since the launch of Kagome's damn perfume and the bombshell that she and Naraku were back in a relationship over two months ago, he had pushed himself to his physical and mental limits, trying to block the ebony haired beauty from his thoughts. Miroku and Sesshomaru were banned from mentioning her name in his presence and the older demon was also instructed to handle any and all business pertaining to the Higurashi's. Inuyasha had delved into his job with unmatched intensity during the day and on the nights when he was not at Hedonism, he had worked out for hours at the mansion that he shared with his brother, either at the well equipped gym, or doing countless laps in the Olympic sized swimming pool.

And yet still, her image was burned into his brain.

His demon clamored for its mate constantly, the ferocious roars having, thankfully, been subdued – by the sheer force of Inuyasha's will – to pitiful whimpers over the four months since they had parted ways. Other women held not even the slightest appeal to him and his normally healthy sex drive had taken a dramatic dive.

The only times he felt desire were during the dark and lonely nights, when he would recall the things that they had done to each other, skin sliding on skin, sweat dripping from straining bodies, tongues traveling over each other, learning every pleasure spot. His own hand would trail down his abs to palm that treacherous part of himself and he would close his eyes as he pumped his fist over and over again, until he brought himself to a shuddering release, with her name ground out between his clenched fangs.

How he hated himself for becoming the pathetic, lovesick creature that he now was and how he wished he could despise her in return for bringing him low. The only night he was able to get a reprieve from the suffering demon in him came only once a month and during that time, he normally drank himself into a stupor to blank out the intense human feelings of despair and loss that threatened to overwhelm him.

Sometimes images of Kagome lying naked and entwined with Naraku would flit across his mind and he would gasp audibly at the sensation that the thoughts provoked. Pain. Pain as if someone had plunged a red hot knife into his stomach as was slowly twisting it as they traveled closer to his heart, destroying him.

He was forcibly brought back to the present as Daigo spoke up behind him. He had been so lost in his thoughts that the other man was able to reach within touching distance without Inuyasha being aware of his presence. Shaking off his melancholy temporarily, he listened attentively as the manager went through the night's events and then bade him goodnight.

As he surveyed the now empty club from his top floor office, Inuyasha contemplated calling Myoga to take him back to the apartment. Another unexpected wave of tiredness washed over him, changing his mind. Instead, he opened the hidden panel and walked into the room there, letting the darkness envelop him as he wearily shed his clothes, climbing nude between the cool sheets of the bed. His muted golden eyes, once fiery and full of life, closed slowly and his breathing evened out as he succumbed to the oblivion of sleep.

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"Son of a fucking BITCH!" Kagome shrieked as she stared in disbelief at the object in her hand. The two lines wavered as her vision blurred and she fought the urge to kill something, preferably the drunken jackass whose super sperm now had her sitting on her toilet seat in this current predicament.

It had been over two months since the encounter with Inuyasha and Kagome, being pulled in all different directions with work, had failed to realize that during that time her period, usually regular as clockwork, had failed to make an appearance. Nor had she suffered any sort of morning sickness, tiredness or weird cravings. She HADnoticed a sort of pulse within her and a slight darkening in her powers, but since they had always been mainly dormant within her, unlike Kikyou's, she had dismissed the change with scarcely a thought.

It was only when, earlier that evening, she had called Sango and her friend had answered the phone, sounding like death warmed over and informed Kagome that men had no idea how lucky they were to not have to witness the bleeding of their nether regions coupled with decimating cramps on a monthly basis, that Kagome's skin had grown clammy and she had cut short the call with the other girl. She had picked up her purse and rushed to the nearest pharmacy where she had grabbed the first kit she came across and made it back to her apartment on record speed.

"That motherfucking bastard," she fumed. "I can't believe he had the nerve to get me pregnant and not even remember it!"

Her powers pulsed again as if in response to her agitation and she paused in mid-rant, a look of wonder stealing over her features as she gently placed a hand on her still flat stomach. She could feel the beat of another aura mingling with hers, one that was tinged slightly with darkness but also shone with a contradicting light as both demon and miko blood came together to form a tiny new being. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she realized that she would have a permanent reminder of the man she both loved and despised and taking a deep breath, she spoke softly to the child that lay inside her, assuring him or her that she loved them and that no matter what the future held, they would face it together.

Her eyes closed in pain as she realized that her child would grow up without knowing a father's love – so similar to the early years of the person who they were fathered by. She wrestled with the decision for a while but while her heart was screaming at her that Inuyasha had betrayed her with her sister, her head was pointing out with cool logic that it was only fair that she approach him and inform him of the child and give him the opportunity to decide whether he wanted to be a part of their lives or not.

Her decision made, Kagome slipped her robe off her shoulders and stepped into the shower to enjoy a long, hot bath before going to bed.


	15. Greed And Plans

SOOOO sorry about the delay in uploading guys…my wedding is coming up in a month and a half and I've been super busy dealing with everything….most likely I'll be out after this for a while, but trust me I'll come back to the story!

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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 15

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Naraku's eyes greedily devoured the photos of both the jewel and the corresponding information that Kikyou had sent to him via email earlier that morning. Within the pages of the file held the information that he had long desired; information that would take him one step closer to achieving the object that he had obsessed over for countless years. The Shikon No Tama. A pink diamond like no other. By some quirk of nature, the diamond was discovered perfectly smooth and round and it had an ethereal glow that seemed to give credence to the legends that formed around the gem. The person who owned it was supposed to be able to have all of their heart's desires fulfilled.

Naraku however, only scoffed at the superstitions whenever he heard them. What he DID know was that the Shikon diamond was going to fulfill all of his wishes by reaping in untold wealth when he sold it to the highest bidder on the black market. Already he had begun to hear news of collectors who were willing to pay as much eighty million dollars and over for the jewel and he was sure that he could easily convince some of his clients to double that figure. He smiled as his brain absorbed the pictures and a plan to make his dreams a reality began forming in his head.

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Inuyasha stirred sleepily and stretched as the sound of his cell phone alarm roused him. He silenced the annoying buzz by touching a finger to the 'Dismiss' on the screen and pressed the speed button for Myoga's number. After hanging up, he quickly brushed his teeth, showered and pulled on a pair of grey denim jeans and a white t-shirt, finishing just as soon as the chauffeur called to let him know that his ride was downstairs.

He thanked Myoga as he left the vehicle, making a mental note to increase the old man's salary from the next month. Nodding to the daytime doorman, he entered the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. As the doors closed, he frowned and sniffed the air around him, his sensitive nose picking up a scent that was the last thing he would have expected to encounter in there.

'Kagome?' he wondered. The scent was a few hours old but it was definitely hers. As the elevator doors opened onto his floor, he noted that it was there as well. He swiped his pass card into the electronic lock and entered his apartment following his nose as he walked to his office door. Her scent was strongest here, indicating that she had spent a significant amount of time in that particular room. He frowned as he racked his brain to conjure up plausible scenarios for her being there, however nothing good came to mind.

He studied the papers on his desk, and whilst everything seemed to be as he had left it, something continued to niggle at the back of his mind. He knew that he had given her a card to access his apartment but he could have sworn that he recalled opening an envelope a few days after she had returned from her cowardly jaunt halfway across the world and seeing the extra card lying inside.

Vaguely, he remembered snarling and hurling the offending object in the trashcan but his mind was in such a blur at that time that he could have been mistaken. He frowned deeper as he fished his phone out of his pocket and dialed her number. As the call connected and he heard the ringing over the other line, he began experiencing the unwanted sensation of butterflies in his stomach.

"Hello," her smooth, slightly husky voice caressed his hearing.

"What the hell were you doing in my apartment last night, bitch?"

" – you have reached the voicemail of Kagome Higurashi. I'm sorry I can't take your call at the moment – ," the recording came to an abrupt halt as Inuyasha disconnected the call.

"Fuck," he growled. He was just about to try again when the device in his hand rang, startling him so badly that he almost dropped it. Only his demon reflexes prevented that from happening and he cursed again as he looked at the caller id.

"You had better have a damn good reason for calling me so early on a Saturday morning especially after I had to stay at the club all night, Sesshomaru," he snapped.

"Since when have you known me to make small talk, you imbecile?" came the sarcastic response. Inuyasha made a face at the phone and growled softly.

"Fine," he conceded. "What do you want?"

"I'm calling concerning the Takahashi bid," his brother informed him. "I trust that everything is in order for my meeting with Sari Takahashi tomorrow morning?"

"Everything has been handled," Inuyasha assured him. "I even took the papers home to study them as thoroughly as possible. Sari knows that her best option is to partner with us to publicly support her when she donates the Shikon No Tama to The Tokyo National Museum. It's clear by the information in the file that the diary she discovered was genuine and if anyone finds out that her grandfather murdered another man and stole the diamond from him, it will ruin her. With the Taisho family support behind her however, no one will question the move to donate such a treasure to the country, especially if both of our companies provide the financial support necessary for adequate security."

Sesshomaru sighed. "I don't know why the bloody woman doesn't just burn the fucking book and save us the time, energy and money," he groused.

Inuyasha grinned at the disgruntled tone in his older brother's voice. He knew that secretly Sesshomaru was fascinated by Sari and had been ever since they had met over ten years ago when the heiress was but nineteen. She was a rare beauty amongst humans, her vitality making her seem almost demon-like. She was an intriguing mix of ethnicities, with her father being from Japan and her mother from India. The first time Sesshomaru had laid eyes on her, she was at a formal party, looking bored out of her mind. He had immediately noticed her garment – instead of being clad in the expected styles she wore an Indian garment, her namesake – fitting enough – that was wrapped snugly around her lithe curves.

The golden silk shimmered under the chandelier lights and seemed to match the flecks in her light brown eyes. Her skin was smooth and dusky, slightly darker than those around her and her thick hair fell in joyful waves past her hips like a waterfall of black satin. Inuyasha had heard the slight hitch in Sesshomaru's breathing as his gaze fell upon the beauty garbed in cloth the colour of his eyes. He had mentally rubbed his hands in anticipation of seeing the great and mighty Sesshomaru fall like a lovesick puppy but to his disappointment, his brother had quickly gathered himself and proceeded as if nothing had happened.

That night, an imp of mischief urged Inuyasha to deliberately seek out Sari's company in order to get a rise out of the taiyoukai, but instead he found himself actually liking the girl's sharp wit and ready retorts and by the time the function was over, the two had become fast friends.

It was the Taisho brothers that she came to first upon discovering her grandfather's secret diary, as she knew that the information within could seriously damage her birthright. It was Sesshomaru who suggested that she donate the diamond to the country since as he pointed out, it was never legally her family's property in the first place. He also advised her to burn the diary but sentiment had tears welling in her eyes at the thought of discarding her only personal memory of her grandfather – even though his character turned out be more tarnished than the memory of her childhood hero.

Inuyasha suggested that they keep copies of everything in a file and destroy the contents afterwards – with the added stipulation that Sari lock her grandfather's diary away in a safe in the house that no one else was aware of. She agreed and they had been corresponding for a couple of months, preparing for the day when they would call the press conference to announce the donation. After the last meeting the next morning, everything should be finalized and they would go ahead and contact the museum to make the offer.

After the phone call with Sesshomaru, his cell rang again almost immediately and he quickly became swamped in dealing with one matter after the next, his phone call to Kagome completely forgotten.


	16. Betrayal And Blood

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 16

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Inuyasha stormed into his apartment building the next day, his face a mask of fury. _'That fucking, two-timing little whore,'_ he raged as his vision began to slowly bleed red. Taking deep breaths to calm himself, he strode up to the security desk.

"Let me see the Visitors' Log," he demanded. When the guard looked at him in bemusement, he bared his fangs and snarled, "NOW!"

The poor human quickly thrust the heavy book at him and he flipped back the pages until he came to the entry he was looking for. "Kagome Higurashi," he murmured. "I'm going to murder you."

He dropped the book back on the desk and made his way back outside, visions of his fingers circling a pale, elegant neck dancing in his brain.

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Kagome was startled awake by a violent pounding on her door. She groaned and covered her head with the thick comforter, pleading silently with the person to go away. It had to be Sango as the guards would not have let anyone else up without calling her for clearance. For the past few days, she had been unable to keep any food down and as a result, her body was severely weakened. She had intended to call Inuyasha to ask him to come over and talk on the same night that she had discovered she was pregnant but apparently it seemed that her miko powers were somehow picking up on her feelings of trepidation towards the foetus, coupled with the fact that the baby had demon blood, and they had decided that they were going to fight against the source of their vessel's distress. Kagome knew that she had to talk to Inuyasha soon in order to calm her fears or else she'd end up in the hospital.

She also had not even bothered to contemplate leaving the apartment this morning as the garage area of her building was undergoing renovations which in turn somehow caused the elevator to experience some mechanical failure and until the technicians completed their job later that afternoon, her only means of entrance and exit would be via the staircase.

Wearily, she trudged to the door and without looking through the peephole to see who it was, she pulled it open.

"You know, Sango, at this ungodly –," her words were cut short by a clawed hand wrapping around her windpipe. Her wide eyes took in the sight of the silver haired man standing in front of her, hatred flashing in his cold, honey coloured eyes.

"Bitch," he hissed, stepping through the doorway. He released her abruptly and she stumbled backwards, coughing slightly. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Didn't you realize that I'd be able to pick up on your scent?"

Kagome stared at him in horror. _'But how could he have known?'_ she wondered frantically. _'I haven't even told Sango as yet.'_ She raised a trembling hand to ward him off. "Inu-Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I had no idea you'd find out," she began.

"You had no idea?" he roared. "That's the best excuse you can come up with for betraying my trust so completely? I knew that you were an immature little bitch but I had no idea that even you could be so manipulative and disgusting."

"Disgusting?" she echoed. "How could what I did be disgusting? It's not as if I planned on hiding it for long….in fact it was only Friday night that I –,"

"I know it was Friday night," he interrupted. "What kind of game are you playing at, Kagome? Although I must admit I'm surprised that you aren't trying to deny your guilt."

"Why would I deny it?" she asked, confused. "I have to reason to deny that I'm pregnant."

As the words left her mouth, his body stilled. Something undefinable flashed briefly in his eyes before he laughed bitterly. "Naraku's bastard, I presume?"

"No!" she denied, her hands flying to her throat, "Yours!"

"You fucking lying slut," he yelled at her. "You and I haven't been together for months and the last time I saw you at the launch, you definitely weren't pregnant. Is it that you don't know who the father is then? I have two names that I can suggest for you," he spat at her, furious.

"No, you don't understand, we DID have sex that night…you were drunk and i….,"

"Save it," he interrupted. "I'm not interested in your lies. What I came to tell you was that I have evidence of you breaking into my apartment on Friday night. Because of your subsequent actions, the reputations of both Sesshomaru and my company plus the businesses of a good friend of ours are now on the line. We'll play the game the way your lover Naraku wants us to for a while but make sure and tell him it's not over yet. And one last piece of advice to you," he eyed her stunned form dispassionately, "Sesshomaru convinced me to give you a chance. So instead of turning you into the authorities and letting you rot in jail like the garbage you are, I'm here to give you a warning."

He leaned in close and whispered, "Run. Run far, far away and take that abomination growing within your womb with you. If I return and you are still anywhere to be found, I may not even take you to the police." He flexed his wickedly sharp claws. "I may just deal with the problem myself."

With that, he was gone in a blur, leaving Kagome in a daze as she tried to process what had just taken place.

The accusations he made tumbled through her brain, making no sense. How could he have proof of her being by his apartment on Friday when that was the same night she did the pregnancy test? And working with Naraku would be something that she would never do – not in a million lifetimes.

Knowing she needed answers, she ran to the hallway and down the staircase, hoping frantically that she would catch him before he disappeared. Heedless of her own labored breath and spinning head, she sprinted down the flights, calling out his name. As she neared the bottom however, disaster struck.

Her vision began to dance before her eyes and she blacked out. It was only for a second, but it was enough for her to lose her footing and plunge down the remaining ten steps. It was possible that she could have walked away from a fall like that with minor injuries, however, fate it seemed, had different plans for her.

Kagome's eyes widened in horror as she saw the jagged, protruding end of a metal bar that one of the workers involved in the renovations had carelessly left atop a pile of scrap to be picked up later. She felt the white hot pain as it pierced the left of her stomach, just above her belly button and came through the other side. The agony was so great that she could not even scream.

She rolled to the side, blood pooling around her body. Valiantly she fought to keep awake as she thought of the tiny life within her. Tears trickled down her cheeks as her vision began to fade in and out and her hearing seemed to become muffled. _'I'm dying,' _she thought to herself. Just as she was ready to give up, she heard the clatter of feet on the paved floor and then a voice that seemed Heaven sent.

"Kagome!"

"S-Sango," she whispered. "I-I fell…my baby…my baby and I…..dying. Don't tell Inuyasha…he wants us to die…" With those words, Kagome closed her eyes and let the darkness wash over her.


	17. An Unwelcome Visitor

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 17

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***PRESENT DAY***

Inuyasha felt heat pool in his groin as he viewed the supple back of his raven haired neighbor. He cursed softly and not without some astonishment. After the death of Kagome Higurashi three years ago, he had long given up on being attracted to another woman in his lifetime. Even now, a pang of bitterness speared through him at the mere thought of her – hurt and disgust at her betrayal, rage that it wasn't his child in her womb and longing for what could have been. Predominantly though were the feelings of sorrow and guilt…

He remembered that evening clearly…Sango storming up to him as he was entering Hedonism to prepare the staff for the night's business, tears flashing in her eyes. She had raised her hand and slapped him across the face, hard. His staff had stood by, stunned as she screamed at him, calling him all kinds of names and accusing him of being the reason why Kagome had fallen down a flight of stairs and bled to death. The hours after that were a blur to him, all he could remember was somehow making it up to his room at the top of the building, where he had fallen to his knees and howled out his grief.

He had tried to attend the funeral but her family and friend refused to let him, Sesshomaru and even Miroku know when and where it was being held. For months afterwards, he had functioned in a daze, a shell of his former self. Finally, after a couple years of living like that, he had decided that he needed to disappear for a while and heal – away from the memories.

He had purchased this country house for the sole purpose of having somewhere to get away from the city and the reminders of HER. Everywhere he went, something would trigger off a memory connected to beautiful brown eyes and a seductive laugh. Even Miroku was of no help as he had recently proposed to Sango, the best friend of the same woman that he was trying his utmost of exorcise from his system. Something about this house had called to him when he was surveying various options and without second thought, he had instructed his real estate agent to go ahead with the purchase.

'_I guess the half-naked, sunbathing neighbor is an added bonus,'_ he smirked to himself. Just then, she shifted onto her right side and his eyes narrowed as her entire back was now exposed to him. He could see a beautiful and elaborate tattoo of a phoenix on her left side, just above her waist and his fingers itched to trace the elegant swirls of the firebird's tail. He inhaled sharply as placed a wide straw hat on her head and then swung her long, toned legs around, standing up and facing him. The hat concealed her features but her exquisite body was bared for his intense perusal. A twin to the tattoo on her back was placed just above her navel on the left of her body and even though he had never been a man that found body art appealing on a woman, something about the ink designs on his new neighbor turned him on to an unsettling degree.

He watched as she gracefully made her way across the large backyard, her dark hair swaying in the thick braid that she had confined the tresses within. Within a few minutes, she was lost to his view as she stepped onto her porch and entered the house.

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Kagome had been dozing lightly when she had felt the uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Even though she had scanned the area under her sunglasses, no one had appeared but the feeling persisted. She sighed to herself and decided to end her sunbathing session earlier than planned. Walking into her home, she headed straight up the stairs and into her large bathroom. The cool aquamarines and sea greens never failed to soothe her and it was with pleasure that she surveyed the room that was easily one of her favourites in the house.

The mirror was shaped like a huge seashell that had ceramic shaped and painted like coral framing the edges. The wall scones were leaping dolphins and mermaids and other mythical creatures of the deep cavorted on the mosaics on the wall. Her bathtub and shower enclosure was a huge sunken tub designed to look like a clamshell and boasted of ceiling high walls of frosted glass. The carpet was rich and thick...a stunning kaleidoscope of oceanic colours, making her feel as if she was stepping into a pool of water each time she walked on it.

Languidly, Kagome loosed her hair from its braid, the wavy locks falling past her hips. Sliding the bikini bottom down her legs, she tossed it into the laundry basket and stepped into the shower. As the warm water washed the suntan lotion off her body, she quickly shampooed and conditioned her hair, before washing off the soap suds and turning off the water. Stepping out, she dried her body, then wrapped her hair in a towel and made her way to the bedroom. She slipped on a midnight blue silk robe and laughed softly as her stomach growled. Making her way down to the kitchen, she decided to go a little extravagant and deviate from Japanese food that evening. Instead, she began compiling the ingredients for fajitas, humming lightly to herself as she did so.

Her song faltered slightly as she looked across the expanse of grass to the house opposite and realized that in the gathering darkness she could see lights ablaze in some of the rooms. Her smooth brow furrowed with displeasure as she realized that she had a new neighbor and she fervently prayed that he or she wasn't of the overly friendly and annoying variety. Ever since the life changing incident a few years ago, Kagome's happy, bubbly personality had undergone a radical change, with the new Kagome being extremely introverted and avoiding contact with other people as much as possible. It was fortunate that her family was so well off as she was able to retire from work and live the life of a recluse without any financial worries. Her mother had tried to convince her to get a pet to keep her company but Kagome flatly refused, preferring to remain alone. Never again would she have someone or something dependant on her and she had firmly closed off her heart from getting attached to anything else ever again.

When she had finally awoken in the hospital to the news that she had survived but that the baby hadn't, she had gone into hysterics, and only after her mother, Souta and Sango had promised to let it appear to everyone – Kikyou included – that she had died from the fall, that she was able to calm down. They even went through the formalities of pulling strings to get a death certificate and had created a new last name for her, Saisei, meaning re-birth.

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Inuyasha cursed as the lights in his house flickered madly for a few seconds, and then died, plunging his new home in darkness. His demon eyesight adjusted quickly to the poor light and he made his way to his foyer table where he had tossed his mobile phone earlier on. He had postponed the installation of a landline as he did not want any and everybody to be calling him when he was at his retreat. Another round of curses left his lips as he realized that the phone battery was dead.

'_I knew I should have charged the damn thing earlier,' _he thought angrily. His golden gaze traveled to the house opposite his and he signed in resignation. _'Guess I'll be meeting my mystery neighbor sooner than I thought,' _he mused, throwing on a t-shirt and heading out into the night.

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Kagome had just finished putting the last touches on her plate of fajitas when the doorbell rang. She jumped, startled, and exclaimed in annoyance as the flour tortilla in her hand fell and landed on the floor. Grumbling to herself, she scooped it up and headed towards the front door, blissfully unaware of the nasty surprise awaiting her.

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Inuyasha sniffed the air, his entire body tensing as a faint scent teased his nostrils.

'_It can't be…'_ he thought. _'That scent….I never thought I'd ever come across it again. Is it really -,'_ his thoughts were interrupted as the door in front of him swung open.

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Kagome squeaked in surprise as her stunned gaze met equally astonished golden orbs. Within seconds, she reacted, slamming the door back in his face and hurriedly locking it. Her knees began to tremble violently and she collapsed in a boneless heap next to the entrance, shivering all the while.

'Inuyasha,' she murmured brokenly, unaware that her words were picked up by the keen hearing of the man still standing in shock outside her door.

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Inuyasha felt a faint growl building in his throat as he heard his name on the lips of the woman who he had though dead for the past few years. His temper built as he remembered the nights that he had lain awake, guilt raging through him as he recalled his last interaction with her and his harsh words before leaving. He had felt dirty and unfit to be alive as the thought that he may have been indirectly responsible for Kagome's death preyed on his psyche. And now, to find out by chance that she was alive and well after all of the torment that he had gone through was intolerable.

Since breaking down the door wasn't an option, he stalked off and stealthily began making his way around the building. His fiery gaze eventually found what he was seeking – an open window on the second story. A wicked grin curved his lips as he sprang upwards.


	18. Return From The Grave

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 18

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Kagome was still slumped on the floor, her face in her hands when a pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders and hauled her upwards. She gasped in fright as her eyes flew open to see the one person that she never expected to, holding her at arm's length.

"Inu-Inuyasha," she stammered. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Not a chance in hell," he ground out. "What the fuck are you playing at, Kagome? Why are you alive?"

The words shattered her and she began to struggle. "You bastard," she screamed. "Are you disappointed to see me alive then? Do you wish that I had died along with our baby? I hate you, Inuyasha….I wish that I had died along with our child!"

His hands felt numb as he dropped her to the floor. Looking up at him, she saw the stricken expression on his face. "What did you say?" he whispered.

"It was OUR baby that died when I fell," she repeated dully, all of the fight drained from her.

He growled. "You're lying," he stated. "There was no way that child could have been mine. The last time I had slept with you was when we broke up and you ran away."

"No," she corrected. "You can ask Sango, or even check the surveillance cameras in the hotel on the night of the launch. You were drunk and we had an altercation by the elevators. I had a few glasses of champagne as well and one thing led to another and we forgot to use protection….Afterwards, I cleaned you off and put on your hotel robe before sneaking out of your room. I had no intention of you finding out ever….,"

"That doesn't change the fact that you broke into my apartment and stole the information about the Shikon diamond and gave the information to Naraku," he accused. "Because of your selfish actions, Naraku now possesses the diamond for himself. He has been trying to own shares in Sesshomaru and my companies as well as the Takahashi empire, but due to the fact that Sesshomaru has top of the line lawyers, he has yet to be able to legally break through…especially since we've managed to uncover some dirt on some shady business practices of his."

Kagome shook her head in denial. "I don't know what you're referring to Inuyasha," she protested. "I've never sold out any secrets to Naraku and I never will."

"Stop lying," he shouted at her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a slight shake. "I know that you were involved with him or do you deny that you had sex with him as well in the past?"

She gasped. "How-how did you -,"

"Find out?" he interrupted harshly. "I overheard your lover boasting about you and him that night in the hotel. You were always in love with him weren't you Kagome?" He released her and thrust her away from him as if the very sight of her disgusted him. "So forgive me if I don't believe your little fantasy about being pregnant with my child. Your lies speak for themselves."

She chuckled bitterly. "You want to talk about lies, Inuyasha? What about you kissing my sister that night? You claimed to love me but the first chance you got, you ran back into her arms. How was I supposed to feel upon seeing that?"

"Maybe if you had given me the chance to defend myself instead of running off like an immature schoolgirl, you would have heard the truth!" he countered hotly.

"Just like you are giving me the chance to defend myself now?" she flung back at him. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it?"

"Why are you always such a bitch?" he yelled.

"Because you are the most infuriating jackass that I've ever had to -," her rant was cut off by his mouth crashing over hers.

Kagome closed her eyes and lost herself in the magic of his kiss. All of the buried feelings came rushing back as his tongue slipped into her mouth to tangle with hers. Of their own accord, her hands fisted in the soft material of his t-shirt, drawing him closer. The scent of evergreen and sandalwood filled her senses, bringing tears to her eyes as she recalled the times spent with the only man that she could ever love. As the salty liquid spilled down her cheeks, he slowly broke the kiss and looked at her in bemusement.

"Why are you crying?" he asked huskily.

"Get out."

He jerked as if she had slapped him. "What?"

"Get out, Inuyasha," she repeated. "I've finally managed to get over you and put my past behind me. Please, just leave and never bother me again."

A snarl built in his throat as he pushed her violently aside. The force sent her crashing into the wall and she bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain.

"Fine," he hissed, fumbling with the lock and wrenching the door open. "But don't think that this is over as yet, bitch. You and I have a score to settle and trust me, I plan to get closure from this whole fiasco. You owe me and I promise I'll make you pay."

With those last words echoing throughout her brain, he was gone into the once quiet night. Kagome locked and bolted the door with shaky fingers, then proceeded to go through the house as if on autopilot, ensuring that all entrances to her sanctuary were secured from the angry hanyou. When her task was completed, she entered her bedroom and extinguished the lights, shivering as the full impact of that evening's events finally hit her.

'_What am I going to do now?'_ she thought frantically. Finally, after hours of tossing and turning, she succumbed to an uneasy sleep plagued by nightmares.


	19. The Revenge Contract

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 19

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Inuyasha blinked tiredly at the weak sunlight filtering through a crack in the heavy drapes. He had tossed and turned all through the previous night, the knowledge that Kagome was alive and living next door to him preying upon his mind.

His demon blood clamored for him to go there and claim her but the human side of him, the part that was still hurt by not only her readiness to believe the worst in him with Kikyou, not to mention the betrayal of seeing the security video of her with his own eyes breaking into his apartment coupled with knowing that she had faked her own death and left him to wallow in torment had him hardening his heart against her. He had given her all that he had to give and she had flung it back in his face. She would have to pay.

He stumbled out of bed, at ease with his nudity. He never wore clothes to sleep as he found them to be too confining and uncomfortable, made his way to the bathroom. When he emerged a while later, a shower doing little to clear the fogginess from his brain, he trudged downstairs to make himself breakfast. The power had returned around two o'clock that morning and he had made sure to charge his cell immediately. His first instinct was to call Miroku and inform him about Kagome but something held him back. Maybe it was the knowledge that if no one knew she was around that he'd faster be able to get some answers from her without interruptions. The slamming of a door in the distance had his ears perking up and his keen gaze settled on the trim figure of his thoughts as she descended the front stairs in a pair of denim shorts and a white t-shirt, gardening gloves and a wide brimmed hat on her head. She made her way around to the back and Inuyasha grinned as a plan began to form in his head. His demon roared with approval as he quickly slipped out of his house, silently making his way across the lush green grass.

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Kagome sighed in frustration as she looked at her pristine garden. She was hoping for some weeds to tackle to take her mind off the nightmares that had troubled her all night. Unable to sleep any longer, she had showered and gobbled down a quick breakfast before collecting her gardening tools and making her way to the back of her house.

The early morning sun felt great on her shoulders and legs and she tilted her face upwards, closing her eyes in order to let the warmth kiss her cheeks. Suddenly, a shadow fell over her, blocking out the light. Her eyes flew open and met sardonic orbs, the same shade of gold as the sun that she was previously enjoying.

"I thought I told you to stay away from me, Inuyasha," she flung at him, scrambling hurriedly to her feet.

"And I thought I told you that we had unfinished business to deal with," he countered, the expression on his face causing her to shiver, though surprisingly not in fear.

He began stalking towards her and she retreated, until her back was against the porch railing and she could go no further. Still closer and closer he came until their bodies were practically touching.

"What do you want?" she gasped out, mesmerized by the expression in his seductive golden eyes.

"You," he murmured softly, reaching out with a clawed finger to caress her cheek. "And revenge."

Her eyes widened. "Wh-what?" she choked.

He smirked. "I was thinking that to fake your own death had to mean that there's a lot of people who you probably don't want knowing you're alive," he began. "I wonder what it's worth to you for me to keep quiet about what I know to be the truth, hmmmmmm?"

She panicked. The thought of Kikyou and Naraku knowing where to find her was unbearable. "Please, no!" she pleaded. "Please don't tell anyone!"

He smiled, her words making it clear that he had her right where he wanted her. "I'll strike a deal with you then, _lover_," he murmured.

His tone of voice and the use of her past pet name had her eyes rounding impossibly as she realized what direction the conversation was taking. It was with a sense of fatalism that she listened to his next words.

"Give yourself to me whenever I want you and this will be our little secret. If you refuse or try to run, I'll make sure the news of the Higurashi heiress' miraculous return from the dead hits headlines everywhere." He stared intently into her eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

'_What other choice do I have?'_ Kagome thought bitterly. Outwardly, she was calm as she nodded her agreement.

"I'm glad you decided to do things the smarter way," he gloated. "Let's seal this bargain the appropriate way, shall we?"

That was her only warning before his lips covered her own in a heated kiss.


	20. Not All Scars Can Be Easily Seen

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 20

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Kagome clutched on to the fabric of Inuyasha's light blue t-shirt as her senses were assaulted by the hot, hard kiss. His claws caught and snagged on her ponytail holder, snapping the elastic band, causing the thick ebony waves to spill down around them. He slanted his mouth, slipping his tongue inside to tangle with hers. She whimpered as she followed suit, torn between fear of getting her heart broken once more and the unsettling feeling that she was finally where she belonged.

She barely managed to hold back a protest as he drew back, but it was only so that he could fall to his knees in the grass and tug her down with him. Pushing her to lie on her back, his fiery gaze captivated her as his hands trailed up her legs and body to stop at her breasts, kneading lightly. She bit her lip and turned her head to the side, not wanting him to see how pleasurable his touch was to her.

"Look at me," he commanded, huskily. "I want your eyes on me. I want you to know who the man doing this to your body is."

She contemplated disobeying, but his voice was too compelling to resist. Brown orbs met gold as his hands left her breasts and grasped the neckline of her t-shirt. With one powerful tug, the garment was ripped in two down the front, exposing the fact that she wore no bra underneath. He groaned at the sight and leaned down to take one rosy peak into his mouth. Unable to help herself, Kagome arched up at the feel of his tongue making circles around her nipple, her breath hitching as he nipped lightly at her flesh. He reached down and in one fluid movement, pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. The feel of his warm skin against hers after so long made her moan in anticipation and she could have kicked herself as she saw the corner of his mouth quirk ever so slightly in triumph.

His hands smoothed over her ribcage and stilled just above the elaborate tattoo of the phoenix. Kagome had chosen to cover her scars with the firebirds as they represented rebirth and new beginnings, something that she had desperately needed to believe in at the time. His mouth followed his fingers, trailing over the head of the bird and moving onto the body. As his lips touched the scar tissue cleverly concealed by the phoenix's vibrant feathers however, his entire body went deathly still.

He raised his upper body and stared at her. "What the hell is that about?" he demanded.

Kagome furrowed her brow. If she wasn't mistaken, she could actually detect worry and was that fear? – in his deep voice.

"It happened in the fall," she explained. "A construction worker had dumped debris at the foot of the stairs with the intention of picking the stuff up after his break. When I fell, I landed on a broken metal pole. It pierced straight through me. If Sango had arrived a couple of minutes later….," her voice trailed off as she recalled how close she had been to death.

Inuyasha's breath hitched in his throat and he gently traced the uneven circle of the scar. "May I see the other side," he asked softly.

Kagome nodded and sat up, tuning her back to him so that he could touch the exit point of the injury. Suddenly, she was pulled upright and Inuyasha pulled the gaping ends of her t-shirt back together. "You should go back inside and change," he suggested, not meeting her eyes. With that statement, he turned around and loped across the lawn, disappearing as he entered his porch.

"What the hell?" Kagome murmured, flabbergasted. She looked down as a splash of blue caught her eye and picked up Inuyasha's discarded garment. His scent, purely masculine, flooded her senses as she held it close, her confused gaze still fixated on the house next door. After a few minutes, she gathered herself and made her way indoors.

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Inuyasha braced his left hand against the wall of the shower, as the warm spray beat down on his tense shoulders. Hearing the type of injury that Kagome had endured had made him feel sick to his stomach, his demon roaring at the thought that his mate had been wounded so severely. At the thought of _mate _however, Inuyasha's human side had frozen in horror.

'_She can't be my mate,' _he thought frantically. _'She betrayed me, slept with another man and was carrying his child. I can't love her….I can't afford to let her hurt me once more. I swear I'll kill myself if I have to go through pain like that ever again.'_

It was useless though. His demon, furious at being denied the chance to physically join with his mate, screamed in frustration and Inuyasha gritted his teeth, knowing what he had to do before he ended up running back across the yard, stark naked in order to finish what he had started.

His hand stroked his erection, lightly at first, but gaining in speed and strength as the pleasure/pain that he was inflicting on himself grew in intensity. He moaned out loud as the image of Kagome lying in the grass, legs spread and breasts bare came to mind. It was her name he called as his orgasm overtook him, causing his knees to sag, his hand bracing against the wall being the only thing that prevented him from slumping to the tiled floor.

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Kikyou's hands trembled slightly as she picked up the worn photograph. In it, two beautiful teenage girls were laughing happily, their arms slung around each other's waist. The shorter one had a look of complete adoration as she stared up at her older sister.

Kikyou felt a tear run down her cheek as she ran a finger over the faces. Ever since the day that she had received the news of her sister's death, she had been plagued with guilt and regret. All she had wanted to do was to have Inuyasha back as hers – she had no idea that her little scheme would result in the demise of the only person who used to show her faith and compassion. Upon hearing of Kagome's death, she had wanted to go to Inuyasha and tell him the truth about everything, but her own cowardice and fear of Naraku had held her tongue.

What she had done however, was put together a package that included a letter to Inuyasha, along with all emails and text messages of her conversations with Naraku and give them to her lawyer with strict instructions.

She started partying and acting like life was running by too fast for her to grab on to and quickly gained the reputation of the wild child of the modeling world. Stories of her promiscuity and homewrecking began featuring regularly in the news and with each article, Kikyou felt herself fall deeper and deeper into the abyss with no one to pull her out. Not too long after that, in an attempt to dull the pain, she began accepting drugs like Ecstasy and LSDs, then gradually moving up to Heroin.

A knock on the door had her head jerking up, haunted eyes landing on the clock in front of her. Standing slowly as in it was a struggle to even exert that amount of energy, she made her way to the entranceway, opening the door to reveal five of her 'friends' all with eager smiles on their faces, and drugs in their bags.


	21. Decisions

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 21

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Naraku cursed in frustration as he read yet another email from a potential buyer. The bastard had politely declined purchasing the jewel and had provided him with some ridiculous reason as to why. However, Naraku knew the real reason behind the past forty three persons in the last three years turning down the opportunity to possess the stone. The Taisho brothers had managed to effectively spread the tale that the diamond brought extreme bad luck to the owner and had even gone so far as to hint that it was cursed.

Naraku clenched his fist in anger, his rage directed towards the brothers and especially one in particular. Because of Inuyasha, not only had Naraku lost the money from the diamond but he had also lost Kagome. Swearing once more to make Inuyasha pay for his actions, Naraku continued sorting through his emails.

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Kagome hummed lightly to herself as she stroked a layer of pale pink polish over her toenails. Her good mood was a direct result of awakening a week ago to see the house opposite hers closed and no vehicles in the carport. After the first three days had passed and the situation remained unchanged, she assumed that Inuyasha had finally decided to stop harassing her and leave for the city. She had felt an immense weight fall from her shoulders and she became almost carefree as a result.

After her nails dried, she eyed the hot tub in her backyard, her one guilty pleasure that she usually indulged in daily but had refrained from while the man next door was in attendance. Now, she grinned and ran lightly into her walk in closet, where she pulled out a bikini to match her nail polish. Quickly divesting herself of her jeans and top, she pulled on the brief suit and picked up a fluffy hot pink towel before slipping her feet into white flip flops. She ran downstairs and tied up her hair in a messy bun quickly before sliding herself into the warm water with a blissful sigh.

Her eyes closed as her thoughts ran on the recent disruptions in her life. She honestly didn't know what to expect of Inuyasha now – one minute he was cold and harsh and the next, almost caring. Her left hand slid down her torso to rest on the phoenix tattoo and the scar below – a constant reminder of her loss. Even though she knew that Inuyasha wasn't directly responsible for her injuries, a small part of her hated him passionately for the death of their child. During the time that she had spent recovering however, she had done some soul searching and had admitted to herself that she had botched the situation from the start by running away from Inuyasha the night she had found him with Kikyou, instead of meeting him face to face and gaining closure. She had realized that she was as much to blame as he was for not being mature enough to deal with the situation in the correct manner. One thing he had accused her of was extremely baffling however and Kagome could not for the life of her understand why he had accused her of breaking into his apartment and being in collaboration with Naraku.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of car doors – the sound being carried clearly across to her in the stillness of the late afternoon. She frowned slightly as she realized her unwanted neighbor had returned and she quickly hopped out of the hot tub and made her way back inside the safety of her home.

Once she was dried and changed, she sat in front of her television, her mind on other things other than the program on the screen. Seeing Inuyasha, after all that time, had only made her aware that her feelings for him had never faded and she wanted to get to the bottom of the mystery that niggled at her. Her decision made, she stood up and before she could change her mind, left her sanctuary in search of her ex-lover.

Kagome rang the doorbell and then stood on the step, nervously tugging her gold-coloured sweater over the waistband of her black jeans. She heard footsteps approaching and she tensed, almost ready to bolt. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as the person stopped by the door and it began to swing open. The quick intake of breath that she heard had her brown eyes flying up to meet stunned golden orbs and her jaw dropped in return.

"Sessh?" she choked out in surprise.

"Kagome," he returned softly, his hard gaze raking her up and down. 'How….unexpected…."

Kagome was spared having to answer by the arrival of the younger Taisho brother. "Kagome?" Inuyasha echoed as he appeared behind Sesshomaru. "Is something the matter?"

"You knew that she was alive?' Sesshomaru glanced at his brother. "And yet you said nothing?"

Inuyasha shrugged. "Wasn't my story to tell," he replied nonchantly. He focused his attention on the dark haired woman outside the door. "Care to explain to me why you're ringing my doorbell, koi?"

Kagome blushed at the sarcastically delivered endearment and stammered, "I-I came to invite you across to-to dinner. You said some things that didn't make sense to me and I don't understand why you would accuse me of some of the things that you did. I wanted to talk to you about what happened and get to the bottom of everything."

Acutely aware that Sesshomaru was avidly looking on, Inuyasha scoffed. "What's there to clear up? I have the security tapes and your signature proving that you broke into my apartment. Unless you want me to lose my temper and forget that I was giving you a second chance by not going to the authorities, then I suggest you drop it. Now."

"But Inuyasha," Kagome began.

"I'm not interested Kagome," he interrupted. "Goodbye." And with that, he closed the door in her face.

He leaned his forehead against the cool wood and sighed softly. The encounter had him feeling wrung out. A slight rustle of clothing behind him made him aware that his brother was still standing there and he turned slowly to face him. "What?" he asked tiredly.

"Oh, nothing," Sesshomaru smirked. "Just…you're still obviously in love with her, after all this time."

"Bullshit," he replied flatly. "She's a lying, conniving tramp. I can't love someone like that."

"Maybe she is and maybe she isn't," was the older man's cryptic response.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Inuyasha barked.

"I'm just saying that her scent reeked of honesty," Sesshomaru replied. "If you were thinking with your head and not your emotions, you would have been able to pick that up on your own." He quirked an eyebrow at his brother. "Makes you wonder, hmmmmmm?"

Inuyasha felt as if he had been hit over the head with a club. "Are you sure?" he questioned sharply. "No sign of a lie?"

"Positive," Sesshomaru gave him a long, level look before turning away. "I think you and Kagome have some talking to do. Feel free to fill me in tomorrow morning." With that said, he turned and made his way upstairs.


	22. Facing The Past

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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CHAPTER 22

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Kagome made her way dejectedly across to her home and sat on her porch swing. One push of her foot set the device in motion and she listlessly looked out over the expanse of her back lawn as she was gently rocked back and forth. The tears came unbidden to her eyes and she blinked them away furiously. Her mind was overwhelmed by the accusations that Inuyasha had made and try as she might, she could not come to a reasonable conclusion as to why he said the things that he had. She had never stepped foot in his apartment since they had broken up, far less to break into it. And helping Naraku? She'd faster sell her soul! She was so lost in her thoughts, that she was unaware of her company until a warm male body slid into the empty space next to her.

"Hey," Inuyasha greeted her softly as her startled gaze met his.

"Inuyasha," she breathed. "Why are you here? Are you going to threaten me some more?"

His lips curved in a rueful grin. "I'm a bastard aren't I?"

"No disagreement there," Kagome mumbled under her breath. His sharp hearing picked up her words and he chuckled.

"I'm sorry," he blurted out.

Incredulous, Kagome turned her wide eyed gaze to him. "What did you just say?" she sputtered.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should have listened to you. I was being hypocritical by doing the same thing to you that you had done to me in the past and it was wrong of me." He blew out a breath as he turned to look at the backyard. "Please, don't hold it against me. I really do want to have that talk with you. We both need the closure from what happened before and until we get that, I know it will be impossible for either of us to move on with our lives. Despite everything, we actually have a second chance to set things right and I fully intend to take it."

Kagome inhaled deeply and looked down at her hands. "You're right. We do have another chance but what's going to happen to us after we talk? There's so much history between us and so much seems unforgivable. I lost our baby, Inuyasha. I saw death looming in front of me and I prayed for our baby to live even if I had to die and it didn't happen that way. It cut even more because you had just walked out on me after accusing me to being unfaithful to you and my baby died with me knowing that its father, the man that I had loved, would have been glad to hear the news. I was devastated, Inuyasha. I had only found out the night before about the baby and a couple of days later, you stormed into my apartment, accusing me of being in collaboration with Naraku! And up to this day, I have NO idea what you were referring to!" Her frustration was clearly evident in her voice as she finally looked up to face him.

Inuyasha swallowed. "I have a video of you breaking into my apartment, Kagome," he informed her solemnly. "Your scent was all over my place and the night guard swore it was you that he let upstairs. There was even your signature to prove it. And to top it all off, the security cameras show you going into my neighbour's apartment after you left mine and staying all night. I was willing to believe the best of you but I can't doubt the proof that was put before me."

"Of me?" she echoed in shock. "Can I see a copy, please?" She saw the skeptical look in his eyes and explained. "Let me look at it. I have a hunch but I need to see it to be sure. Please."

He relented, and leaned back in the swing. "Fine. I'll have a copy sent up by next week." He reclined his head until it rested on the back of the swing and studied the stars that were now beginning to appear in the early evening sky.

Kagome chuckled softly and when he turned to look at her quizzically, she explained. "Can you believe that we are actually sitting down next to each other, having a civil conversation? Who would have thought it?" She took a deep breath before proceeding, "For what it's worth, Inuyasha, I'm sorry as well. I should not have run off like that the night I saw you and Kikyou. I behaved like a spoiled little girl and instead of facing the situation and dealing with it like I should, I took the coward's way out." Her head and shoulders drooped, causing her long, glossy hair to obscure her features. "If I hadn't taken off like that, none of this would have ever happened."

Inuyasha exhaled almost soundlessly. "That's correct Kagome….but everything happens for a reason. Maybe we weren't supposed to be in a relationship with each other. If we were, then I doubt all these issues with trust and jealously would have caused us to break up so easily."

She nodded. "You're right you know. It seems sad somehow that we had to go through all that pain to reach to this point and this conversation however." She turned to him. "I'm ready to start over…and listen. What really happened that night with Kikyou?"

Inuyasha chuckled mirthlessly. "She lured me out in the gardens, claiming that she needed to get closure and that she had some things to say that included you. Fool that I was, I agreed to it. She became 'faint' and I was helping her up when she grabbed yanked down her dress and grabbed my hands and put them on her." He scoffed. "I never did care much for silicone."

"Oh Inuyasha, I should have stayed and listened!" Kagome exclaimed. "I was such an idiot."

"She also said something about you and Naraku being lovers in the past and that how you guys had broken up just before you met me. She implied that you were using me as a rebound. I didn't believe her at the time because I knew that I was the only person that you had been with for possibly years, but the night of the perfume launch, I saw Naraku and heard him talking about how he was going upstairs to a hotel room with you. I was drinking and that tripped me off and I don't remember much after that."

Kagome placed her hand on his forearm. "You met me by the elevators. You were drunk and we argued and somehow that ended up into us having sex in your hotel room. We didn't use protection either."

"So the baby really was mine," Inuyasha stated softly."I feel like such a fool."

Her small hand slipped into his. "We both made mistakes," she consoled. "The question is, where are we going from here?"

He turned to face her fully. "To be honest Kags, I don't really know. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not powerfully attracted to you, but I don't think that it's the best idea for us to pick up where we left off. Getting over you nearly killed me and being with me nearly killed you. Maybe we just aren't meant to be."

"I agree," Kagome said, even though her heart felt like breaking. "Friends then? We can start afresh and keep things light." She held out her hand. "Shake?"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and then enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Little idiot," he grinned. Releasing her, he stood up and offered her his hand. "So, is that offer of dinner still on?"

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